By Web Desk
Thiruvananthapuram: A report regarding the creation of a WhatsApp group based on religion by IAS officers has been handed over to the Director General of Police (DGP) by the Chief Secretary. The report clarifies that there has been no hacking of the phone of the Director of the Industry Department, K. Gopalakrishnan. The Chief Secretary will seek an explanation from Gopalakrishnan, and action will likely be taken against him.
Earlier, the City Police Commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram had submitted a report to the DGP regarding the WhatsApp group issue. The report mentions that hacking could not be confirmed. It also notes that Gopalakrishnan had formatted his phone before handing it over. A forensic examination did not reveal any evidence of hacking, and Google’s investigation also ruled out the possibility of hacking.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, had previously responded, confirming that the WhatsApp groups in question were created using Gopalakrishnan’s IAS phone. Since the phone was formatted and all data erased, the cyber police were unable to retrieve any further details. Creating WhatsApp groups based on religious divisions is a serious violation of service rules. The groups, named “Mallu Hindu Officers” and “Mallu Muslim Officers,” were claimed by Gopalakrishnan to not be his, and he denied any hacking incident. The groups were deleted within hours of being created.
