Jayathilak withheld IAS Prasanth's reinstatement, defying CM Pinarayi Vijayan's instruction

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reports suggest that it was Chief Secretary Jayathilak who thwarted the reinstatement of suspended IAS officer N Prasanth. It is reported that Jayathilak even violated the suggestions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to settle personnel scores.

N Prasanth was suspended for his scathing Facebook post criticising Jayathilak.

The Chief Secretary is the chairman of the Suspension Review Committee. The decision to withdraw Prasanth's suspension was taken on April 24 itself. The review committee, headed by the then Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, recommended the withdrawal of the suspension. The other members of the committee were Additional Chief Secretaries of the Home Department, Bishwanth Sinha and KR Jyothilal.

However, Saradha Muraleedharan soon resigned, and Jayathilak became the Chief Secretary. With Prasanth and Jayathilak at odds, the government thought it prudent to appoint Additional Chief Secretary Rajan Khobragade as the head of the Suspension Review Committee to bring more transparency to the case. However, Jayathilak, who took over as Chief Secretary, issued an order saying that just two members were sufficient in the Suspension Review Committee. With this, Rajan Khobragade saw his way out.

Subsequently, a new committee, chaired by Jayathilak, met on May 5 and decided to extend N. Prasanth's suspension for an additional 180 days. The Central government’s permission is required to extend the suspension. However, there remains no evidence of the central government giving assent to the move.