The Kerala State Police Chief submitted the investigation report on the ‘Mallu Hindu Officers’ WhatsApp Group controversy to the Chief Secretary on Saturday.
The report indicates that the phone of Director of Industries Department K Gopalakrishnan was not hacked.
Advertisement
Forensic analysis and a report from Meta concluded that no unauthorized access occurred. Following this, the Chief Secretary is expected to seek an explanation from Gopalakrishnan, potentially leading to disciplinary action.
According to findings presented by the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner, no evidence of hacking was discovered in forensic tests or through Meta’s response.
However, it was noted that the phones had been formatted prior to submission, limiting the investigation’s ability to retrieve data—a factor that may lead to consequences for Gopalakrishnan.
The police investigation revealed that both of Gopalakrishnan’s phones, submitted for forensic examination, had been reset, thereby erasing potential evidence.
Meta’s prior clarification indicated that since the WhatsApp groups in question are no longer active, determining whether hacking had occurred is now impossible. Both reports ultimately dispute Gopalakrishnan’s hacking claim.
To validate a hacking incident, unaltered devices would have been essential; however, as Gopalakrishnan had formatted the phones himself, no evidence could be established.
Consequently, police officials have informed the Commissioner of Police that no further investigation can be conducted.
The lack of hacking evidence suggests that Gopalakrishnan may have created the WhatsApp groups himself.
Forming groups based on religious affiliations and segregating officials in this manner is against service regulations.
K Gopalakrishnan, Director of Industries and Commerce, allegedly established the WhatsApp group ‘Mallu Hindu Officers,’ which included Hindu bureaucrats, some of whom were retired IAS officers.
Reportedly launched on Diwali, invitations were extended to both active and retired Hindu IAS officials. After the controversy gained attention, 11 WhatsApp groups linked to his name were deleted.
On November 4, Gopalakrishnan filed a complaint with the Thiruvananthapuram City Police, asserting once more that his phone had been hacked. In response, police sought a report from WhatsApp to verify whether unauthorized access had taken place.
“The report from WhatsApp did not conclusively prove that the mobile phone was hacked. Forensic analysis also revealed the phone was reset three or four times. While the officer maintains that his phone was hacked, no explanation has been given for the resets, which erased all data that could support his claim,” a senior police officer stated.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has expressed support for IAS officer Gopalakrishnan in the controversy. The VHP questioned whether forming a WhatsApp group for Hindus in Kerala should be considered an offense.
“The Communist government in Kerala is targeting an IAS officer simply for creating a WhatsApp group called ‘Mallu Hindu.’ The officer clarified that his phone was hacked and that no messages were sent to the group. Will the government ban groups formed by people of other religions as well,” asked VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal in New Delhi.
