Thiruvananthapuram: Industries Department Director K Gopalakrishnan courted controversy on Sunday after the screenshots of a WhatsApp group of 'Hindu IAS officers', of which he was the admin, were leaked to the media. However, the officer clarified, as per reports, that the group was created to wish Diwali. Civil service officers are prohibited from acting or making decisions on the basis of caste or religion. The group was deleted once the screenshots made it to the news.

Gopalakrishnan later filed a complaint with the Cyber Cell, alleging his WhatsApp account had been hacked. The group, comprising officers ranging from collectors to additional chief secretaries, was deleted within an hour of forming. Gopalakrishnan personally messaged every group member that his WhatsApp account had been hacked. He clarified in the message that someone created 11 WhatsApp groups in his name. He told the media, too, that his phone had been breached.