The Kerala government has suspended two IAS officers for non-compliance with service rules and violation of discipline. Both of their names are K. Gopalakrishnan and N. Prashanth. The government said Gopalakrishnan’s behavior had created disunity within the All India Service cadre, while Prashant’s behavior had tarnished the image of the state’s administrative system. Gopalakrishnan was suspended after he created a religion-based “Whatsapp group” for government officials. Prashant was suspended for publicly criticizing a senior IAS officer on social media.
Both officers were charged with serious crimes
The Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala, in issuing suspension orders against two IAS officers late on Monday night, made it clear that the conduct of the two amounted to serious disciplinary infractions and violated various sections of the All India Services Rules of Conduct, 1968. The order said a “Whatsapp group” was recently set up and Industrial Director Gopalakrishnan was described as the “administrator” of the group. A police investigation showed there was no evidence that Gopalakrishnan’s phone had been “hacked” as officers claimed.
The officer himself “factory reset” the phone multiple times before submitting it to forensic examination. “The government initially believes that the purpose of the ‘Whatsapp group’ created by Gopalakrishnan is to create divisions among the All India Services cadre in the state and destroy their unity,” the statement said.
Both police officers were suspended
In another order suspending Special Secretary (Agriculture) N. Prashanth, the government alleged that the officer made “derogatory remarks” on social media against A. Jayathilak, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, IAS. According to the order issued, these remarks constituted serious disciplinary violations and damaged the public image of the state administrative system.
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