Kochi, Feb. 24 -- The Kerala High Court issued a stern warning to the State Government and sought an immediate explanation regarding how the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) accessed the private contact details of nearly five lakh government employees, judicial officers, and scheme beneficiaries on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

The Court's intervention follows a petition, which alleged that the CMO bypassed privacy laws to send unsolicited, personalised WhatsApp messages featuring the Chief Minister's photograph and highlighting achievements like the 10% DA hike as part of an election campaign for the upcoming May 2026 Legislative Assembly polls.

The Bench observed a clear "lack of privacy" in this outreach, specifically scrutinising the sus...