Reacting to five incidents of police officers found to be under the influence of alcohol while on duty that had caused major embarrassment to the force, City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan, on Thursday, fixed the accountability on superior officers in the event of sub-ordinate personnel caught in a drunken state or for indiscipline.
Special Sub-Inspector of Police (Traffic) Karuppiah was arrested and placed under suspension on charges of having been found drunk while on duty and for misbehaving with a woman motorist on Wednesday.
He becomes the fifth police officer causing disgrace to the force after Special Sub-Inspectors Samidas and Nagarajan were suspended for drunkenness while on duty.
Before Wednesday’s incident Inspector Sundaresan of Ukkadam Police Station (Crime) who was suspended one day before his promotion for driving the official police vehicle in an inebriated state and causing accidents on Sathyamangalam Road.
Armed Reserve constable Santhosh Kumar was suspended last week for riding a two-wheeler under the influence of liquor and causing accident.
All these incidents occurred at a time when the police had launched zero tolerance towards drunken driving by members of the public. Mr. Viswanathan, while ordering the suspension of all the five officials, made it clear that serving in the police department gave no immunity from law.
On the heels of Wednesday’s incident, Mr. Viswanathan convened a meeting on Thursday that was attended by all Deputy Commissioners of Police, Assistant Commissioners of Police and Inspectors.
Mr. Viswanathan asked superior officers to identify police officers/personnel with traits of alcoholism and send them for de-addiction and counselling and to speak to the family members.
In the event of personnel not mending their ways and found inebriated while on duty or indulging in acts of indiscipline, then the Station House Officers (SHO)s i.e., Inspectors under whom such personnel worked, would be held responsible.
Mr. Viswanathan pointed out that acts of shameless indiscipline by a few persons in the force was tarnishing the name and image of the entire force and such a trend will not be allowed to continue any further.
List
Meanwhile, Intelligence Section personnel have began preparing a list of persons consuming alcohol regularly and persons resorting to acts of indiscipline under the influence of alcohol.
