LDF alleges leakage of personal information of applicants at Thiruvananthapuram Corporation

Alleging leak of personal information of applicants at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has demanded the State government to conduct an investigation into the issue. LDF Parliamentary Party Leader S.P. Deepak said that personal details such as the addresses of individuals who submit applications to the Corporation for various purposes are being misappropriated to file fraudulent complaints or for other unauthorised uses.

“In one instance, a complaint was filed against Soumya, an office attendant in the Corporation’s tax wing, using the name and address of Ajayan, a resident of Madhavapuram, Veli. The Corporation authorities, without conducting any investigation or verifying the facts, hastily initiated disciplinary proceedings against the employee. It was only when the authorities contacted the alleged complainant that it was discovered his name and address had been used, along with a forged signature, to file the complaint,” alleged Mr. Deepak.

He said that the submission of such a complaint suggests suspicious activity, irregularities and unauthorised interference by certain staff members, given that submissions of applications or complaints to local self-government institutions require authentication via an Aadhaar-linked OTP. Online complaints or applications typically include the applicant’s phone number; this information was also misappropriated to file the fraudulent complaint, he said.

“The hasty initiation of disciplinary action against the employee without first hearing from the alleged complainant or verifying the authenticity of the complaint is highly suspicious. The leakage of information submitted for various purposes, including building construction permits, is a serious issue,” said Mr. Deepak.