Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the cyber police over a widely circulated fake audio message related to the training of officials ahead of the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections.

The purported audio message falsely claims that no in-person training programmes are being conducted for the elections officials this time as part of government cost-cutting measures, the CEO said in a statement.

Rejecting the claim, the officer said that officials assigned election duties are currently undergoing training through multiple phases.

He said a combination of online and offline training sessions is being conducted, and only those who complete these programmes will be deployed for poll-related responsibilities.

The commission aims to ensure comprehensive training for all personnel involved in the election process this time as well, he said in the statement.

Terming the circulation of such baseless messages as an "offence", Kelkar said a formal complaint has been filed with the cyber police seeking action against those responsible for spreading misinformation, the statement added.