Presently, a WhatsApp group, ‘Mallu Hindu Officers,’ is believed to be run by K. Gopalakrishnan, Director of the Kerala Industry and Commerce Department. Gopalakrishnan explained that his phone was hacked after the controversy broke out.
The group reportedly had 11 Hindu IAS officers as members, and Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan from Gopalakrishnan has sought an explanation on the issue. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, whose portfolio Gopalakrishnan falls, conceded the issue on Monday when he said,
“While this does not relate directly to my department, we are fully aware of the situation. We will examine the circumstances that led to it. Besides, there are reports in the media about a similar group with Muslim officials, which also we will examine.”
The controversy broke last week when officials informed Gopalakrishnan, following which the group disappeared mysteriously. He then approached the Cyber wing of the Kerala Police to complain because his phone had been compromised and sought an investigation.
When a few of its members started raising their concerns about the group’s formation, its existence was questioned. Quick to react, Gopalakrishnan sent a message: “Dear all, it looks like somebody has hijacked my mobile device and created 11 groups and added all my contacts. I’ve uninstalled the app, manually removed the groups from my WhatsApp, and will change my phone soon.” The message was marked “Important Notice.”
Recently, Kerala has witnessed a slow but steady gravitation towards the BJP, with several retired top police officers, including a woman IPS officer, joining the party. V. D. Satheesan, the Opposition Leader, raised eyebrows when he spoke about a secret meeting between ADGP Ajith Kumar and two top RSS officials.
