With Karnataka officers unable to settle spat, SC seeks copy of deposition of IAS Rohini Sindhuri in defamation case against IPS Roopa
The public spat between the IAS and the IPS officers created a major controversy in Karnataka in early 2023 and left the two officers without postings
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Rohini Sindhuri (L) has alleged in her defamation complaint that D Roopa shared photos, made allegations on social media, and made statements in the media questioning her personal and professional conduct to tarnish her image before the public and colleagues. (File)With two women government officers in Karnataka – IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri and IPS officer D Roopa – unable to reconcile the differences between them which resulted in a public spat in 2023, the Supreme Court recently called for the records of a deposition made by the IAS officer in a defamation complaint against the IPS officer.
“Notwithstanding grant of time by this Court to the parties, they are not able to reconcile their differences. We direct the petitioner to place on record a copy of deposition of the respondent recorded in the complaint,” the Supreme Court said in an order on May 15.
The apex court also ordered the continuance of an interim stay granted on December 15, 2023, on the criminal defamation proceedings brought by the IAS officer against the IPS officer.
IPS officer D Roopa approached the Supreme Court in October 2023 seeking the quashing of the criminal defamation proceedings brought against her by IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri after a public spat on social media earlier in 2023.
The Supreme Court has given the two government officers several opportunities to settle their differences and “work out a solution which will be in the interest of both.”
Rohini Sindhuri has sought an apology from D Roopa for social media posts which the IPS officer removed after intervention of the SC in December 2023.
The Supreme Court stayed proceedings in the criminal defamation case filed by Rohini Sindhuri against D Roopa in December 2023 in the wake of the IPS officer giving the court an undertaking that she has deleted all social media posts referring to the IAS officer.
The SC had on December 14 asked D Roopa to provide an undertaking on the deletion of the controversial posts or to express regret as a means for resolution of the matter.
The IPS officer filed an affidavit on December 15 stating that she had taken down all posts referring to IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri in deference to the views expressed by the Supreme Court bench.
Earlier in August 2023, the Karnataka High Court had refused to quash the defamation case lodged by Rohini Sindhuri against D Roopa. A single-judge bench rejected a plea by the IPS officer who then approached the Supreme Court.
Rohini Sindhuri has alleged in her defamation complaint that D Roopa shared photos, made allegations on social media, and made statements in the media questioning her personal and professional conduct to tarnish her image before the public and colleagues. The case was filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 500 (defamation), seeking damages of Rs 1 crore.
“If the statements posted on a private account as well as the statements made before the print media are examined, I am more than satisfied that the petitioner/accused is bound to face a criminal trial. The question as to whether the posts made on a Facebook account and the statements made before the print media fall under exceptions is a matter of trial,” the high court had ruled in its August 21 judgment.
The public spat between the IAS and the IPS officers created a major controversy in Karnataka in early 2023 and left the two officers without postings. In September 2023, nearly seven months after the spat, the two officers were given new postings by the new government
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