A police officer in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu has been placed under suspension for drinking while in uniform.
In a video that has gone viral in the state, a woman police officer is seen in a drunken stupor. Sitting in the passenger seat of a car parked on the side of the road, she tells her male friend to stop filming. While he continues to film, he asks her to open her eyes. She is seen sipping a glass of water to sober up. Her friend laughs and says, "Ettu(head constable) Amma is fully drunk."
While she appears to put her hand on the camera to stop him from filming, her friend continues to do so. She then offers him water presumably in an attempt to sober him up as well. He is heard asking, “What difference does it make whether we drink water or not?” He then denies being drunk. Once again, her friend says, “Ettu(head constable) Amma is drinking.”
Shortly after the video went viral on Monday, the cop was suspended. However, the officer was not on duty when she was drinking.
Speaking to TNM, Dindigul SP R Sakthivel, said, "The officer was returning from work in her relative's car. She has been suspended because the police department's image has been tainted. She was in uniform. This is dishonourable conduct."
According to the Tamil Nadu Police Subordinate Officers Conduct Rules by which police officers are to abide, “A Government servant shall not be found drunk or under the influence of liquor while attending office or appearing in a public place.”
While the officer is facing the consequences at her workplace for her actions, social media reactions have predictably been on moralistic grounds, slut shaming the cop because of her gender.
Note: TNM has blurred the officer's face because of the slut-shaming she has been subjected to on social media.