Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (IANS): A day after Kerala's senior police officer T.J. Jose was caught cheating in LL.M exams, he is facing a possible suspension from service and being debarred to appear in university examinations for a certain period.

Officials, requesting anonymity, said Jose is likely to face suspension from service and debarment from exams.

Jose, the inspector general of police, Thrissur range, was caught cheating on Monday while taking an exam for the Master of Law (LL.M) degree.

Soon after the incident was highlighted by TV channels, the Kerala government and the M.G. University headquartered at Kottayam swung into action, with Jose's superior officer asking him to extend his study leave.

On Tuesday, a Mahatma Gandhi University official visited the St. Paul's College Kalamassery near Kochi, where Jose was writing the examination, to conduct a probe.

Deputy registrar A.C. Babu, on Tuesday spoke to the officials of the college, from where Jose was sent out of the examination hall after being caught with cheating material from which he was copying.

Babu is expected to submit his report to the vice chancellor of the M.G. University and it is possible that Jose may be debarred from appearing in examinations for two years.

Meanwhile, the departmental probe, to be carried out by Additional Director General of police N.Shankar Reddy, is expected to begin on Wednesday.

With state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala taking the incident very seriously, as it has caused a severe dent in the image of the state police force, Jose could even be suspended from service.

The invigilator who caught Jose cheating was unaware of his identity. He had taken away Jose's answersheet and asked him to go out of the examination hall.