Former Karnataka minister Sa Ra Mahesh accuses IAS officer of scam again, this time for purchase of bags

Responding to the charges put forth by Mahesh, Rohini Sindhuri on Friday evening issued a statement saying that the allegations against her are "blatant lies and contrary to the truth."

Written by Darshan Devaiah BP
Mysuru | Updated: September 3, 2021 06:08 PM IST

3 min read

Former minister K R Nagar JDS MLA Sa Ra Mahesh is known to be a bitter critic of Sindhuri, who had earlier accused him of encroaching a ‘Rajakaluve’ and gomala land in Mysuru to construct a wedding hall. (Express Photo)

Stoking a fresh controversy against IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, former minister and K R Nagar JDS MLA Sa Ra Mahesh accused the officer of a Rs six crore-scam in the purchase of cotton bags.

Mahesh Friday said when Rohini Sindhuri was the deputy commissioner of Mysuru, she had approved to buy 14 lakh cloth bags from Karnataka State Handlooms Development Corporation. However, as the Corporation expressed its inability to supply the bags, Sindhuri was instructed to purchase them from a private party.

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“The bags were bought at Rs 52 per piece, while we bought the same bags at Rs 13, including GST. How is this possible?” Mahesh questioned.

Mahesh further alleged that the contract of supplying the bags was given to the husband of a government officer. According to Mahesh, he has so far unearthed eight scams allegedly done by Sindhuri when she was the deputy commissioner.

“I will meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief secretary P Ravikumar and demand a detailed inquiry into the scams. The IAS officer should be dismissed from the service,” Mahesh said, adding, he has all the required documents to prove his allegations against Sindhuri.

Mahesh also warned the state government of a protest in front of the Chief Secretary’s Office if no action is initiated against the IAS officer.

The cloth bags were supposed to be distributed in Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and gram panchayat limits. However, the MCC council didn’t approve the plan. Since then, the boxes of bags have been stocked in the MCC godown.

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The former minister is known to be a bitter critic of Sindhuri, who had earlier accused him of encroaching a ‘Rajakaluve’ and gomala land in Mysuru to construct a wedding hall. After these allegations, revenue officials and the regional commissioner had conducted a probe and given him a clean chit.

Responding to the charges put forth by Mahesh, Sindhuri on Friday evening issued a statement saying that the allegations against her are “blatant lies and contrary to the truth.”

Sindhuri, who is now Commissioner in the Endowment department, while displaying various documents related to the purchase of cloth bags, said, “The whole method of attacking me is a part of the standard operating procedure to browbeat and scare the officers into not enquiring the irregularities committed by these individuals.”

In June this year, Sindhuri was transferred after a feud with IAS officer and former Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Shilpa Nag.