The state government has rejected the review petition filed by former circle inspector Sunu P R, who was removed from service for being 'behaviourally unfit'.
It was for the first time in the history of Kerala Police that  Section 86 of the Kerala Police Act, which deals with the disqualification of a police officer, was invoked against Sunu in 2023 to dismiss him from service.

The order rejecting his petition is laced with sharply worded observations saying that his acquittal in a sexual abuse case based on an out-of-court settlement was not honourable and that he pushed the boundaries of rules to taint the image of Kerala police.

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The events that led to his dismissal stemmed from a sexual abuse case in 2021. The department noted that while working as Inspector of police, he raped and sexually exploited a woman belonging to SC/ST community and caused disgrace to the police department. Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him by awarding a punishment of increment bar for two years. Later the state police chief considered the gravity of the crime and decided to enhance the punishment to 'removal from service'. It was noted that he was punished in several instances of official misconduct, including lapses in investigation, fabrication of records, indiscipline, and moral turpitude.

Also he was suspended three times since 2010 and awarded with punishments in 15 different instances on various charges of misconduct. The acts and behaviour of Sunu was assessed to be abuse of official authority for personal gratification, moral turpitude, grave misconduct and unbecoming of a police officer, lack of integrity, which were found in violation of relevant provisions of service rules and Kerala Police Act. He was also under suspension and facing inquiry for charge of nexus with anti-social elements in Kochi city when the review order was passed, the home department's order said.

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In 2024, Sunu filed a petition seeking review of his dismissal order. One of his contentions was that he was acquitted in the sexual abuse case and the prosecution had failed to prove the offence. He also cited that he wasn't given opportunity to be heard against penalty and procedure of inquiry was not done and it was against principles of natural justice. He further pointed out that the DGP issued the order to remove him from service when the case was pending trial. The order regarding enhancement of punishment was issued without application of mind and his explanation was not considered, Sunu said in his petition.

He approached the Kerala Administrative tribunal (KAT) in 2024 to dispose the review petition. KAT directed the government to pass appropriate order on the petition after hearing Sunu.

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While rejecting the petition, the government noted that the witnesses had turned hostile in the sexual abuse case persuading the prosecution to give up the case. Even the veracity of 164 statement given before the magistrate was disowned. It was submitted that the matter was settled out of court. The order issued by the home department said that such an acquittal cannot be termed as 'honourable acquittal'. The government observed that his arguments on not being heard was due to fallacious understanding of rules and that he made futile attempt to pick holes in the procedure to escape from the clutches of disciplinary proceedings. The department also said that the dismissal order speaks for itself and it does not suffer from non-application of mind.

"The review petitioner was provided ample opportunity to defend himself before issuing the order of removal from service. He has not shown any sign to reform himself despite a raft of exemplary punishment meted out. On the other hand, he always tends to push the envelops of disciplinary rules blackening the image of entire police force on the trot," according to the order.

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