Kerala suspends IAS officers, one for ‘Mallu Hindu’ group, another for misconduct

Two senior IAS officers in Kerala are facing disciplinary action from the state government. For Kerala Industries and Commerce Director K Gopalakrishnan, controversy arose due to the formation of a WhatsApp group called 'Mallu Hindu Officers' after intelligence rejected his claim that his phone had been hacked and found evidence of his involvement.

The other officer, Agriculture Department Special Secretary N Prasanth, faced action for making controversial remarks against Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak.

The decision to suspend the officers was reportedly based on assessments by Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, following Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s directive to maintain procedural conduct within government ranks.

Earlier, Revenue Minister K Rajan indicated that the government would enforce strict adherence to established norms and procedures for all officials.

The controversy surrounding Gopalakrishnan, a 2013-batch IAS officer, emerged when a WhatsApp group called “Mallu Hindu Officers” was created on October 30, with senior Hindu IAS officers as members. This group, however, was swiftly deleted after some members questioned the propriety of such a platform.

Days later, Gopalakrishnan lodged a police complaint, claiming his phone had been hacked and alleging that multiple other groups, including one named “Mallu Muslim Officers,” had also been created without his consent.

However, the police investigation contradicted Gopalakrishnan’s claims, finding no evidence of a hack. The inquiry noted that Gopalakrishnan had repeatedly performed factory resets on his phone prior to submitting it for forensic examination.

The state’s suspension order cited that the WhatsApp group appeared to be a divisive initiative, intended to foster communal alignments among IAS officers in Kerala. The government’s view, based on preliminary findings, was that such an action could jeopardise the cohesion and solidarity within the All India Services in the state, potentially impacting the effective administration.

Prasanth, a 2007-batch IAS officer, faced suspension following a separate but equally public controversy involving Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak. Over recent days, Prasanth took to social media, posting a series of comments criticising Jayathilak after a report in Mathrubhumi, a prominent Malayalam newspaper, suggested Jayathilak had flagged issues with “missing files” in UNNATHI, a state initiative for SC/ST welfare, from Prasanth’s tenure.

Prasanth argued that the news report lacked accuracy and targeted him unfairly, accusing Jayathilak of collaborating with the newspaper.

Prasanth’s social media posts highlighted his frustration, suggesting that there was a coordinated effort to tarnish his reputation. He alleged that Jayathilak had a vested interest in the report and labelled him as having a bias.

On Sunday, Prasanth continued his criticism, sharing another report on an investigation into alleged irregularities during Jayathilak’s tenure as chairman of the Spices Board. The government concluded that Prasanth’s public remarks breached protocol, suggesting that his posts demonstrated significant indiscipline, undermined the administrative structure, and risked fostering discord within the IAS cadre in the state.

The order suspending Prasanth cited his comments as damaging to the image of the administration, noting that they could diminish public trust in government services. The remarks were deemed inappropriate for a senior officer and were likely to exacerbate division within the administrative ranks.