Suspension of N Prasanth IAS extended until May 26
This decision comes on the heels of a social media post by Prasanth on the anniversary of his suspension.
This decision comes on the heels of a social media post by Prasanth on the anniversary of his suspension.
This decision comes on the heels of a social media post by Prasanth on the anniversary of his suspension.
Thiruvananthapuram: The suspension of IAS officer Prasanth N has been extended for another 180 days, lasting until May 6, 2026. This decision comes on the heels of a social media post by Prasanth on the anniversary of his suspension.
He levelled serious allegations of corruption and administrative misconduct against senior bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary A Jayathilak and former Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Prasanth claimed that his suspension was a direct result of exposing corruption within the state administration, specifically involving senior IAS officers. Prasanth further alleged that his suspension was not related to any violation of social media platform rules, but was instead a retaliatory move for his public exposure of corrupt practices.
One of the central targets of Prasanth's post was Kerala’s current Chief Secretary, A Jayathilak. Prasanth accused Jayathilak of absenteeism, claiming that records obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act showed that Jayathilak attended office for fewer than five days a month over a period of nearly two years.
He also referred to the Muttil tree-felling case in Wayanad, alleging that a controversial order issued by Jayathilak led to significant financial losses of over Rs 12 crore in valuable timber. The incident reportedly involved illegal felling of trees in a forest area, an issue that Prasanth has repeatedly highlighted in his posts.
Further allegations against Jayathilak included corruption in the PM-AJAY housing scheme, ghost training projects, and irregularities during his tenure as Chairman of the Spices Board. Prasanth claimed that the CBI had recommended an FIR against Jayathilak for allegedly routing travel business to a private agency, which he claimed was a clear case of corruption. Notably, he pointed out that Jayathilak was later appointed as Chief Secretary, after which he allegedly ensured that the cases against him were closed.
In addition to his allegations against Jayathilak, Prasanth criticised former Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan for failing to act against corrupt officers during her tenure. He stated that Muraleedharan lacked the “moral courage” to take action against those involved in corruption.
Prasanth was initially suspended in 2022 following a Facebook post that drew the ire of senior officials. The post, which allegedly criticised bureaucratic practices and government policies, became the subject of a disciplinary inquiry.