A doctor falsely accused by police on social media of being a suspect in a bottle shop theft is suing the state of Victoria for defamation.

Rehabilitation specialist Dr Prasannan Ponganamparambile was looking forward to weekend cocktails with his wife when he purchased some drinks, his legal representative O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors said in a statement.

When he returned to his car, he checked the receipt and thought he may have been over-charged for a bottle of rum. He went back to the shop with the bottle and receipt, where the cashier confirmed the price was correct.

But on 15 May last year a CCTV image of Dr Ponganamparambile in the store, holding the bottle and receipt, later appeared on a police-administered Facebook page, documents filed in the Country Court show.