KASARGOD: Breaching all standards of civility, a government official took to social media, hurling obscene and casteist remarks to malign the Malayali nurse who lost her life in the Ahmedabad air crash. A Pavithran, a junior superintendent with the revenue department, is now under arrest, and his dismissal from service seems imminent.
Kasaragod District Collector Imbasekar K on Friday recommended to the government Pavithran’s dismissal from service, citing his history as a habitual offender. Despite several warnings, punishments and granting opportunities for correcting his actions, Pavithran of the Vellarikundu taluk office refused to reform and continued with his misdeeds, “bringing disrepute to the revenue department and the government,” the collector said in his report.
Hosdurg police arrested Pavithran from his office. A case has been registered against him under non-bailable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Sections 196, 75, and 67A) and the IT Act. A medical examination proved that he was intoxicated while on duty at the time of the arrest, police said.
Pavithran sparked outrage after posting his remark under a Facebook condolence post for Ranjitha G Nair. Though he deleted the comment following intense backlash, screenshots had already gone viral, triggering widespread anger on social media.
Despicable act, says minister
Revenue Minister K Rajan intervened and ordered Pavithran’s immediate suspension. “Such a despicable act is unbecoming of a government employee. An immediate suspension order was issued once this came to my notice,” the minister said in a Facebook post.
There have been several past disciplinary proceedings against Pavithran. In August 2023, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) issued a formal warning against him after a complaint was lodged by the president of Nellikattu Shrimad Paramashiva Vishwakarma Temple, alleging defamatory posts on social media. In February 2024, he received another stern warning following a complaint by Kasaragod native V Bhuvanachandran, who accused Pavithran of defamation through social media posts. Despite the reprimands, Pavithran continued his misconduct. Last September, he was suspended for posting casteist remarks against former minister and Kanhangad MLA E Chandrasekharan on FB. Though disciplinary proceedings followed, the matter was later settled with censure. Pavithran was reinstated on November 7.