Kerala extends IAS officer N. Prasanth’s suspension, reinstates Gopalakrishnan pending disciplinary action

Fri Jan 10 05:32:10 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Govt Extends Suspension of IAS Officer, Reinstates Another

**Thiruvananthapuram, January 10, 2025** – The Kerala government has extended the suspension of IAS officer N. Prasanth by 120 days, citing continued misconduct. Meanwhile, IAS officer K. Gopalakrishnan has been reinstated, pending disciplinary action.

Both officers were initially suspended in November 2024 following an inquiry by Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan into allegations of official misconduct and impropriety. Mr. Prasanth’s suspension was extended after a Suspension Review Committee found he had learned little from his initial suspension and continued to engage in actions deemed detrimental to the government. These actions included publicly accusing a colleague of being a “psychopath” and making inflammatory social media posts. The inquiry report stated his behaviour caused “irreparable injury” to the government.

Mr. Gopalakrishnan’s suspension was revoked despite facing accusations of creating a WhatsApp group for civil servants titled “Mallu Hindu,” which raised concerns about creating divisions within the services. While an inquiry found him prima facie guilty of fomenting disunity, a police investigation concluded that no cognisable offence had been committed, leading to the closure of the case. The government, however, will proceed with departmental action against him.