Complaint Filed Against Suspended IAS Officer over Mallu Hindu Officers WhatsApp Group

 Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the suspension of Industries Director K Gopalakrishnan by the Kerala government for creating a "Mallu Hindu Officers" WhatsApp group, a complaint has been lodged with the DGP to register a case against the IAS officer for allegedly attempting to incite communal disharmony through his actions.

Although the government has suspended him, there has been no initiative to file a case against Gopalakrishnan for further investigation into his controversial actions.

Kollam DCC general secretary Faizal Kulapadam who filed the complaint with the DGP, cited the observations of the chief secretary and findings in the order issued by the government. As per the order, the WhatsApp group created by Gopalakrishnan was intended to foment division, sow disunity and break the solidarity within the cadres of the All India Service in the State. It was also prima facie found to be creating communal formations and alignments within the cadres of the All India Services in the state.

The order of suspension issued by Chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan stated that as per the probe report of Thiruvananthapuram city police commission, there was no evidence to indicate that the devise was hacked as claimed by Gopalakrishnan.

The officer had himself repeated factory reset the mobile phone before submitting for forensic examination.

The order further stated that the officer's action was violative of the relevant rules of All India Service Conduct Rules , 1968 and he was suspended in compliance with All India Service (discipline and Appeal ) rules 1969.

The police had earlier said that a suo motu case could not be registered against IAS officer K Gopalakrishnan in connection with the Mallu Hindu WhatsApp group controversy.

The police had earlier informed that legal action is likely to be taken only if any officer belonging to the group approaches them with a complaint.

The investigation was subsequently conducted on the complaint of Gopalakrishnan.

Gopalakrishnan created the group consisting only of members of the Hindu community, including top officials of the service. Gopalakrishnan's explanation was that the phone was hacked and added to 11 WhatsApp groups.