Kochi: It took just 24 hours for Merin Joseph, a young IPS trainee to become an internet celebrity and gain 25,000 followers. Merin achieved the status after a Facebook page posted a photo claiming that Kochi had a new Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The photo became an instant hit and she was forced to post an update that the news was fake. On Thursday, she deactivated her account.
While most of the Facebookians praised her beauty and expressed their willingness to get themselves arrested, a Facebook page was opened for her.
Read: Kerala: IPS trainee goes viral on Facebook for being attractive
Following the news and Facebook posts, the Kochi City Police decided to start a probe into the incident. The cops are on the lookout for the origin of the posts.
"The news that Merin will be taking charge as ACP is fake. Someone posted it on Facebook and it became viral", said Commissioner K.G. James. He added that if needed, the police would take legal action against the offenders who spread the wrong info.
Deccan Chronicle had carried a news report on Merin on Wednesday.
The news evoked mixed reactions on social media as several users found it inappropriate to praise a cop's beauty rather than lauding her calibre.
Merin herself had clarified the matter saying that she was still undergoing training at the National Police Academy.
She added that she would keep people updated on her first appointment in January next year. She asked her followers to refrain from believing baseless rumours on social media.
