Drunken cop caught on camera suspended; police calls incident ‘an exception’

New Delhi: Cracking the whip on a policeman, who was purportedly seen travelling drunk in Delhi Metro in a video clip that went viral on social media, commissioner B S Bassi on Monday suspended the erring cop, terming the incident "an exception". Bassi said the constable has been identified and suspended, and action initiated against him.

"We are going to take very strict action against the official," said BS Bassi.

Any police officer found drunk while in uniform, even during off-duty hours, is totally unacceptable, but it must also be noted that this was a one-of-a-kind incident and "an exception", said Bassi.

The official was identified as Head Constable Salim PK, a native of Kerala, posted at the Police Lines in outer district of Delhi police, a senior police official said. However, police are yet to ascertain the exact date on which the incident was recorded.

On Saturday, a video clip purportedly showing Salim PK travelling in Delhi metro went viral on social media, raising concerns about safety of the commuters and violation of the DMRC rules.

The undated video, posted on Facebook by a user, showed the constable, suspected to be in an inebriated state, struggling to hold on to a pole while swinging back and forth inside a metro coach.

The 36-second clip also showed the dishevelled policeman with his shirt untucked and trying to find his way around the coach in drunken stupor. As the train brakes to a halt at Azadpur station on Yellow line, the cop comes crashing down on the floor and is helped up by fellow passengers.