Kerala suspends 2 IAS officers, 1 for creating ‘joint’ WhatsApp group

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has suspended two IAS officers N Prasanth and K Gopalakrishnan for breach of discipline. Prasanth’s restraining order was issued late on Monday.

While Gopalakrishnan was suspended on charges of creating a religion-based WhatsApp group, action was taken against Prasanth for criticizing a senior official.

The restraining order was issued on November 11 by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Kerala government and both the officers were found to have violated the All India Service Code of Conduct, 1968.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan suspended the officials based on an investigation report submitted by Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan.
“The government is prima facie satisfied that these remarks of Shri Prasanth N IAS amount to serious indiscipline and such remarks tarnish the public image of the administrative machinery in the State. These statements prima facie also have the potential to create divisiveness and discontent in the Indian Administrative Service in the state which may also affect the service provided to the public,” the GAD order said.

This suspension came after Prasanth made headlines for making these remarks against senior IAS officer Additional Chief Secretary A Jayathilak. The statements made by IAS Prasanth were in violation of Rules 3(1), 3(1A)(i), 3(1A)(iv), 3(2B)(iii), 3(2B) (xi), 3(. The GAD order cited Rule 2B)(xiii), Rule 9 and Rule 17 of the All India Service Rules of Conduct, 1968.

Meanwhile, Industrial Manager Gopalakrishnan has come under scrutiny for allegedly creating a WhatsApp group of civil servants with the aim of dividing the cadres, sowing discord and breaking solidarity within the cadres. It turned out that the WhatsApp group also created social formations within the staff.

Mr Gopalakrishnan has come under departmental scrutiny for allegedly creating a WhatsApp group of civil servants

Gopalakrishnan had filed a complaint with the police, claiming that the WhatsApp group in question was created and people were added without his consent by hacking his mobile phone.

The GAD order details that the State Police chief forwarded a report from the Thiruvananthapuram City Inspector General and Commissioner of Police stating that the State police investigation had found no evidence to suggest that the device had been hacked.

“The Government is prima facie satisfied that the above actions of Shri Gopalakrishnan K IAS (KL:2013) in creating a Whatsapp group to incite division, sow discord and break solidarity with the All India Service Cadre in the State amount to violation of the Rules. 3(1), 3(1A)(i), 3(2B)(i), (ii), (iii) and (x) of the All India Service Conduct Rules, 1968,” the GAD order said. (MOMENT)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint assumes no responsibility for its content.

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