The Kerala government has reinstated IAS officer K Gopalakrishnan, who was suspended in November last year on the charge of creating 'Mallu Hindu Officers' and 'Mallu Muslim Officers' WhatsApp groups, while IAS officer N Prasanth, who has been suspended for criticising a senior IAS officer, will remain under suspension.
Gopalakrishnan, who was serving as the Director of Industries and Commerce at the time of his suspension, had been accused of adding officers from various communities to the group, which was reportedly labelled a Hindu community group. In response to the allegations, Gopalakrishnan had lodged a complaint with the police, stating that he had not added any officers to the group.
The government order, issued on January 9, reinstated Gopalakrishnan following a review of his suspension by the Suspension Review Committee. The Committee concluded that there were no substantive grounds to continue his suspension and recommended his reinstatement, pending the finalisation of disciplinary action. The government accepted the Committee’s recommendation, allowing Gopalakrishnan to return to service while the disciplinary process continues.
In contrast, IAS officer N Prasanth’s suspension has been extended for another 120 days, as per the same review. Prasanth, who was serving as the Special Secretary in the Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers' Welfare, was suspended for criticising a senior IAS officer, A Jayathilak, on social media.
Prasanth had posted on Facebook, accusing Jayathilak of orchestrating baseless news reports against him. He also claimed that Jayathilak was working to undermine him by spreading false allegations through the media.
The controversy surrounding Prasanth began after a media report alleged that crucial files from the 'Unnathi' initiative, which supports Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), had gone missing during his tenure as its CEO. The report also claimed that Jayathilak had submitted a report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan regarding the missing files. In response to the allegations, Prasanth had posted on Facebook, refuting the claims and defending his actions.
The government, in a separate order issued on January 9, accepted the Suspension Review Committee’s recommendation to extend Prasanth’s suspension for a further 120 days, effective from January 10.