Gorakhpur Police Photoshops Facemasks On Constable, Murder Accused, Deletes Image After Backlash

The Gorakhpur police is receiving flak on social media for posting a digitally altered or photoshopped image on their Twitter account on Sunday.

In the image, a police constable and a murder accused standing by his side have masks photoshopped on their faces, The Indian Express.

The constable and the accused, arrested for allegedly murdering his elder brother over a land dispute, were not wearing masks when the picture was clicked. The picture was then photoshopped after netizens pointed out that the police were not following COVID safety protocols.

The incident comes at a time when the police force and the state machinery are punishing people for violating COVID guidelines, not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.

The police department later took down the photo after endless criticism on social media.

"An officer of the rank of Additional SP had been asked to investigate the matter. Based on the report, action will be taken against those responsible," Senior police officials said on Tuesday.

"It was a genuine mistake from the side of the constable, who tried to correct his mistake of not wearing a mask but did not know that he was making it worse. After coming to know about the incident I even called the concerned constable and questioned him. He said it was a genuine mistake and started crying. He accepted that he made a mistake. However, I asked an Additional SP-level official to investigate the matter. Action will be taken as required," Gorakhpur DIG Jogendra Kumar said.

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