Hindu IAS Officer's WhatsApp group: Kerala government launches investigation

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will investigate the incident surrounding the controversial creation of a WhatsApp group for Hindu IAS officers, as stated by State Industries Minister P Rajeeve on Monday. This decision follows a complaint from an IAS officer who alleged that his personal WhatsApp number was hacked and used to create a religious group without his consent.

Minister Rajeeve referred to the situation as "serious," expressing concern over the potential for community-based divisions among IAS officers. He assured that the government would thoroughly look into the matter, highlighting that there is a general code of conduct for IAS officers governed by the Public Administration department.

The controversy came to light after the IAS officer lodged a complaint with the police, requesting an investigation by the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner. According to sources close to the officer, the WhatsApp group included members from various communities and was labeled as a Hindu community group.

Upon discovering the group's existence, the officer promptly filed a complaint and dismantled it, clarifying that he had not authorized the addition of any officers to the group. This incident reportedly took place three days ago.

With PTI inputs