KOCHI: A Whatsapp message highlighting some alleged instances of corruption at the Edappally zonal office of the Kochi Corporation and showing some officials and a former Mayor in poor light triggered protest at the office of the civic body on Friday.
Trouble broke out after Corporation Secretary A.S. Anuja forwarded the “scandalous message” to some Whatsapp groups of which some civic administrators, councillors, and police officials are members.
A section of the corporation staff took out protest marches against the Secretary on Friday, accusing her of “tainting the image of the staff, the civic body, and a former Mayor”. They also registered their protest with the Secretary before formally submitting a complaint to Mayor Soumini Jain.
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The staff complained that the Secretary had “wilfully” forwarded the message to several groups. The official should have looked into the contents of the message rather than forwarding it to others, they said.
“The messages gained sanctity, with the Secretary of the Kochi Corporation, who is supposed take disciplinary action against errant officials, forwarding it to others. The official should have verified the message before forwarding it,” said a corporation staffer.
Official clarifies
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When contacted, Ms. Anuja said she had forwarded the message to some groups to make people, including the corporation staff, aware that allegations were doing the rounds. “I didn’t author any message but forwarded what I got from some groups. It was an unintentional act, done in good faith,” she added.
On receiving the message, said Ms. Anuja, the issue raised in it was discussed with the officials concerned. All the officials maintained that they were unaware of any such complaints, she added.