News surfaced last August covering the footage of a drunk police officer in the Delhi Metro who lost his balance and fell while travelling. Now, news has come to light that he was not drunk, but was suffering from a serious medical condition.
Delhi Police Head Constable Salim PK was suffering from a stroke when the video was filmed
After the video earned nearly two lakh hits in a day, Salim was suspended from duty and his image also took a downward spiral. Salim’s wife suffered a stroke after she heard the news about his defamation that went viral on social media.
Salim has approached the Supreme Court for compensation in light of his tarnished image
After the police department cleared Salim for his actions and reinstated him in service, Salim approached the Supreme Court to plead to the Delhi government, Police Commissioner, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, and the Press Council of India so that they can present the actual events as they happened and “help him regain his lost dignity.”
Police enquiry of medical records found that Salim was actually true when denying being drunk
Salim PK’s dizzy state was because of him suffering a stroke at the time the video was shot, and he suffered a partial paralysis to his left side later. Salim’s lawyer, Wills Mathews said the following,
“When the video went viral and Salim was suspended, it made front page news. When he was taken back, not a single newspaper or TV channel carried it. In the eyes of the general public, the petitioner was drunk in the metro and he is still under suspension.”
Salim is in his native state, Kerala, on medical leave, and suffers from a speech impediment. This story shows the dark side of the power of social media and how an absence of facts can ruin a person’s life.
