The ongoing tussle within Kerala’s IAS ranks escalated sharply on Monday, with suspended IAS officer Mr. Prasanth N (2007 batch) levelling serious new allegations against Chief Secretary Mr. A. Jayathilak (1991 batch), accusing him of manipulating official files and fabricating documents in the State’s e-office system.
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Prasanth Alleges Backend Manipulation and Suppression of Dissent
In a strongly worded Facebook post, Mr. Prasanth claimed that he had first caught Mr. Jayathilak red-handed on March 12, 2024, allegedly tampering with digital records. He alleged that backend access to e-office accounts was being misused to forge file notings and fabricate approvals, giving the impression that files were cleared by officers who had not even seen them.
Describing this as a blatant violation of the IT Act, Mr. Prasanth stated that such acts were cognizable offences and amounted to “systematic suppression of dissent” in files involving decisions worth crores of rupees.
Sensitive Opinion Deleted to Mislead Minister, Claims Officer
He cited a specific case where his written dissent on a sensitive file was allegedly deleted from the digital record before being presented to the concerned minister. “This was a deliberate attempt to mislead the minister by replacing facts with falsehoods and paving the way for corruption,” he said, arguing that the file was later passed off as having unanimous consent.
Attack on RTI Transparency and Mishandling of Complaints
Mr. Prasanth also took aim at the Right to Information (RTI) process, claiming that RTI responses falsely denied the existence of any complaint or inquiry against the Chief Secretary. He countered this with what he said were official documents from the IT department that contradicted those RTI responses, raising serious questions about procedural transparency in Kerala’s governance.
“Is the RTI Act itself being rendered inapplicable in Kerala in the name of shielding corruption?” he asked, criticising what he described as an orchestrated attempt to stifle accountability.
High-Level Panel Under Pressure Amid Escalating Row
Mr. Prasanth has been under suspension since November 2024, following earlier allegations made against Mr. Jayathilak, who was then serving as Additional Chief Secretary. The state government subsequently appointed a two-member panel on July 22 to probe complaints against Mr. Prasanth. However, his fresh set of allegations may shift the focus of the probe towards deeper systemic issues.
Chief Secretary Unavailable for Comment
Despite multiple attempts, Chief Secretary Mr. A. Jayathilak has not responded publicly to the latest charges.
The escalating row has sent shockwaves through Kerala’s top bureaucracy, threatening to widen into a full-blown administrative crisis, with the government and the probe panel now caught in the crossfire of a high-stakes bureaucratic showdown.
