Kerala: 'Mallu Hindu' WhatsApp group, derogatory posts see 2 IAS officers suspended

The Kerala government has suspended two senior officials, K. Gopalakrishnan, director of industries, and N. Prasanth, special secretary of agriculture, for disciplinary violations.

The suspension orders, issued on Monday, 10 November, cite breaches of service rules and serious indiscipline. Gopalakrishnan's actions allegedly sowed disunity within the All India Services cadre, while Prasanth’s conduct was said to have damaged the public image of the state’s administrative machinery.

Gopalakrishnan, an officer of the 2013 batch, was suspended following the creation of a WhatsApp group called 'Mallu Hindu Officers' last month. It is claimed that he created this group, selecting IAS officers for membership based on their religious affiliation.

While Gopalakrishnan initially reported the incident as a case of hacking, alleging that his device had been compromised, the investigation has found no evidence to support this claim. A police inquiry revealed that Gopalakrishnan had repeatedly reset his mobile phone before submitting it for forensic examination, which hampered the investigation by the cyber forensics team.

On 31 October, a row erupted after the WhatsApp group was formed using Gopalakrishnan’s phone number. Some officers added to the group objected to its nature.

The suspension order, signed by chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, stated that the officer's actions violated several provisions of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

N. Prasanth, an officer from the 2007 IAS batch, was suspended following derogatory comments made on social media about additional chief secretary Dr A. Jayathilak. Prasanth accused Jayathilak of sabotaging the careers of subordinates who did not follow his directives and described him as a "psychopath".

This followed a report by Jayathilak regarding missing files of the Unnathi initiative, an organisation aimed at empowering Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Prasanth had publicly claimed that Jayathilak was spreading baseless allegations about him through the media.

Prasanth's social media posts came in the wake of a report submitted by Jayathilak to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The report noted that the Unnathi initiative had come to a halt due to missing files. Prasanth's posts included claims that Jayathilak was orchestrating negative press coverage to undermine him.

Known for his outspoken views, Prasanth had previously served as the district collector of Kozhikode and had gained a reputation as 'Collector Bro'. He later responded to the charges on social media, denying the allegations and defending his right to express criticism of specific individuals, though not of government policy.

The suspension of both officers has sparked political debate.

Former fisheries minister Mercykutty Amma has accused Prasanth of conspiring with opposition UDF leaders to bring corruption charges against her. Meanwhile, Kerala revenue minister K. Rajan has emphasised the importance of discipline among government officers, warning that those who violate service rules would face severe action.

In the case of Gopalakrishnan, the Kerala Police conducted an investigation following his complaint about his WhatsApp account being used to create religion-based groups. While initial reports suggested that his phone had not been hacked, Thiruvananthapuram city police commissioner Sparjan Kumar stated that it remained unclear whether the device had been compromised due to the multiple resets carried out by Gopalakrishnan before submitting the phone for examination.

The WhatsApp group in question, which included officers from various communities, was labelled as a 'Hindu community group', which caused significant controversy.