Kerala Chief Secretary Ms. Sarada Muraleedharan (1990-batch IAS officer, Kerala cadre) will personally hear suspended IAS officer Mr. N. Prasanth (2007-batch IAS officer) on April 16. He has been directed to appear before her in person at 4:30 p.m. in her chamber.
Also Read: Kerala Government Reinstates IAS K Gopalakrishnan, Extends Suspension of N Prasanth
Mr. Prasanth, who was suspended in November 2024, had sparked controversy last year by making serious allegations against Additional Chief Secretary Mr. A. Jayathilak (1991-batch IAS officer), IAS officer Mr. K. Gopalakrishnan (2013-batch IAS officer), and Ms. Muraleedharan, even serving them with a legal notice. In his defense statement submitted to the government in February, he had requested a digitally recorded and live-streamed hearing—a request that has reportedly been granted.
Acknowledging the notice for his hearing, which was issued on April 4, Mr. Prasanth thanked the Chief Secretary for the opportunity and for allowing audio-visual recording of the proceedings. However, he has continued to assert that the charges against him are based on unreliable digital records and that no proper disciplinary violations have been established. He maintains that his suspension order lacks procedural and legal validity, reiterating his claim that Mr. Jayathilak and Mr. Gopalakrishnan were behind the action against him.
The controversy stems from an inquiry report allegedly prepared by Mr. Jayathilak, which accused Mr. Prasanth of being responsible for the disappearance of files related to the Unnathi project during his tenure as its CEO, as well as irregularities in his attendance record. His suspension was reportedly based on these findings, along with alleged violations of service rules and derogatory social media statements against Mr. Jayathilak.
In December, Mr. Prasanth escalated the matter by sending a legal notice to his IAS colleagues and a Malayalam daily, accusing them of fabricating documents, criminal conspiracy, and abetment of illegal actions. That same month, he also wrote to the Chief Secretary, seeking clarifications on the charge memo issued against him.
In January, the Kerala government extended Mr. Prasanth’s suspension while revoking the suspension of Mr. Gopalakrishnan, who had been facing disciplinary action in an unrelated matter.
Also Read: Kerala CS Sarada Muraleedharan Responds to Colourist Remarks: ‘Black Can Absorb Anything’
