The Kerala government in suspended IAS officer K Gopalakrishnan on Monday for creating a WhatsApp group, “Mallu Hindu.” This incident has raised concerns among other officers in the department.
The IAS had filed a complaint claiming his mobile phone was hacked by unidentified cyber criminals and WhatsApp groups were created without his consent.
The police investigation into the issue contradicted Gopalakrishnan’s claims, which, in turn, raised serious questions about the integrity of the evidence. Furthermore, it cast doubt on the officer’s intent to cover up the matter, a situation that concerned other officers as well.
Based on the findings of the investigation, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to suspend Gopalakrishnan from his duties. This decision followed a report submitted by Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, which outlined the evidence against him. At the time of his suspension, Gopalakrishnan was serving as the Director of Industries and Commerce in the state.
Kerala IAS Officer ‘Collector Bro’ Suspended for Criticizing Senior Official
The suspension order stated that the WhatsApp group aimed to divide the All-India Services, which raised concerns over discipline and unity within the organization. Moreover, N Prashanth, who hails from Thalassery in Kerala’s Kannur district, joined the IAS in 2007 after completing his studies at Loyola School and Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram.
On Monday, November 11, the Kerala government suspended Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer K Gopalakrishnan for creating a WhatsApp group called “Mallu Hindu Officers.” This decision followed a series of investigations and concerns raised regarding the group’s potential to cause division within the All-India Services.
The suspension order stated that the Kerala government believed the WhatsApp group aimed to foment division, sow disunity, and break the solidarity within the cadres of the All India Services in the state.
The suspended IAS officer claimed that cyber criminals had hacked his phone and created the WhatsApp group without his consent. However, the Kerala Police promptly debunked his claim, finding no evidence to support it.
