Kerala IAS officer suspended over ‘Mallu Hindu Officers’ WhatsApp group, hacking claims debunked

The Kerala government suspended Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer K Gopalakrishnan after an investigation into his claims of a phone hack. Gopalakrishnan, who served as the Director of Industries and Commerce, had filed a complaint with the police alleging that cybercriminals had hacked his mobile phone and created two WhatsApp groups—“Mallu Hindu Officers” and “Mallu Muslim Officers”—without his consent. He stated that the hackers had made him the admin of both groups and that the “Mallu Hindu Officers” group was formed on October 30, which included several senior IAS officers. According to Gopalakrishnan, the group was deleted after other officers raised concerns.

The Kerala government, in its suspension order, stated that the WhatsApp group “was intended to foment division, sow disunity, and break the solidarity within the cadres of the All India Services in the state.” The government emphasized that the creation of such a group was a violation of the ethical and communal integrity expected from civil servants. The order further stated that the officer’s actions had the potential to create “communal formations and alignments” within the administrative services, leading to his suspension.

The police investigation into the matter contradicted Gopalakrishnan’s claims. After a thorough inquiry, the police found no evidence to support the allegation of his phone being hacked. The forensic examination of his phone revealed that Gopalakrishnan had conducted a factory reset on his mobile device multiple times before submitting it for analysis. The police also noted that no digital traces or evidence of unauthorized access were found on the device, casting doubt on the officer’s version of events.

In addition to the deleted group, the police found that Gopalakrishnan had initially added several senior officers to the “Mallu Hindu Officers” group. However, after receiving objections from the officers involved, the group was deleted. Despite this, the creation of the group and the subsequent investigation into the officer’s actions raised significant concerns within the state administration regarding the potential for divisive and discriminatory behavior within the ranks.

Following the completion of the investigation, Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan submitted a report to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which led to the officer’s suspension. The report outlined the findings of the investigation and concluded that Gopalakrishnan’s actions were inconsistent with the expectations of integrity and professionalism in public service. The suspension order noted that the officer’s actions undermined the principles of communal harmony and the unity of the civil service in Kerala.