Five persons, part of the crew of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus, have been suspended after an anti-DMK message appeared on the rear digital route display board of a TNSTC bus operating from Puducherry to Tiruchi.

The bus, belonging to the Villupuram Division of the TNSTC, was plying along the route via Cuddalore, Neyveli, Vriddhachalam, and Perambalur.

According to official sources, the route board of the bus carried several anti-DMK slogans, as well as jibes against the party’s leaders, including former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and DMK youth wing president Udhayanidhi Stalin. A video of the messages went viral on social media.

A TNSTC official said an unidentified person had gained unauthorised access to the display board’s Wi-Fi connection and uploaded the content. Though the crew were not involved, action was taken against them for negligence. An inquiry is under way to identify those responsible, he said.

‘Messages uploaded via pen drive’

TNSTC Villupuram Division Managing Director S. Sridharan said an inspection was conducted at 9.30 p.m. on October 13 after the corporation received a complaint about unauthorised messages on the rear digital route display board of bus TN 32 N 5013. No messages were visible during the inspection, and the board’s Wi-Fi function was found to be deactivated.

Representatives of LED Geo, the board’s manufacturer, subsequently found that the motherboard had not been properly secured. Messages could be uploaded only using software on a USB pen drive, Mr. Sridharan said.

The bus crew denied uploading the messages. Although a preliminary inquiry suggested that a passenger might have uploaded them, disciplinary action was initiated against the bus drivers A.P. Sitharai Selvan and P. Paranthaman and the conductors Senthamarai Kannan, R. Venkatesan, and E. Manikandan, who were on duty between October 9 and 13, for negligence.

The TNSTC has issued a warning across its Villupuram Division and intensified monitoring to prevent similar incidents.