Hyderabad: An alleged extramarital affair of a female police officer and a police inspector, who were caught red handed by her husband and other family members, has landed both of them in serious trouble as the state Home Ministry has put them under suspension for bringing the force into disrepute.

The government took action against the pair after a video of the family of Sunitha Reddy, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the Anti Corruption Bureau, assaulting Police Inspector Mallikarun Reddy of Kalwakurthy went viral on social media.

In the video the two police officers were seen coming out of an apartment building, before being surrounded by the senior officer’s husband, mother and mother-in-law, who then proceed to attack the inspector with their foot-wear.

Taking cognisance of the incident and the complaints of the aggrieved husband, the Director-General of Police, M. Mahendr Reddy, sent a report to the state Home Ministry.

The ASP’s husband met the DGP and revealed that his wife had apologised for her behaviour two years ago before ending the affair, but added that the inspector had forced her back into the relationship.

On the DGP’s recommendation, Ajay Mishra, Principal Secretary in Home Department, issued an order suspending the ASP and the police inspector. The order has also asked the ASP not to leave the headquarters without permission.

In his report, the DGP said that Reddy had indulged in moral turpitude through her improper and indecorous behaviour by having an adulterous relationship with Mallikarjun Reddy.

“She has exhibited reprehensible conduct and brought disrepute to the profession and lowered the image of the police,” he said.

As part of the investigation the police have seized the visitors’ record of the building where the pair had secret liaisons, as well as CCTV footage.

Sunitha’s husband, who was staying in the United States over the last five years, returned to Hyderabad secretly last Sunday after coming to know about his wife’s affair.

He hatched a plan to catch her red handed, police said.

On coming to know that she and the inspector were together, her husband took his mother and mother-in-law to the building and caught the pair together.