The Supreme Court on Thursday, November 7, said that senior Karnataka officers, D Roopa IPS and Rohini Sindhuri IAS’s ongoing defamation case will proceed to trial following settlement failure. This high-profile conflict between the officers follows a public feud that began with a series of social media accusations in early 2023.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, and George Augustine Masih, granted Roopa’s request to withdraw her plea seeking to dismiss the criminal defamation case filed by Rohini. The bench dismissed the Special Leave Petition on November 7, ending months of mediation attempts in the matter.

Roopa’s initial petition to quash the case, which dates back to a dispute that started on social media in February 2023, was placed on hold in December 2023. She had posted at least 19 accusations against Rohini on Facebook, sharing photos that Rohini allegedly sent to male colleagues between 2021 and 2022. Rohini sought damages of Rs 1 crore in the defamation complaint, contending that Roopa’s posts and comments were intended to damage her reputation publicly and professionally. Following the conflict, both officers faced temporary suspension from their respective positions.

The Karnataka High Court had previously declined to quash the case, ruling in August 2023 that Roopa’s statements on social media and in print warranted a criminal trial to determine whether they qualified for exceptions under defamation law. Roopa then approached the Supreme Court, which attempted a reconciliation by requesting that Roopa delete the controversial posts.

After voluntarily removing the posts in December 2023 and submitting an affidavit confirming her compliance, Roopa was still unable to resolve with Rohini, who demanded a public apology. As a result, the Supreme Court has now instructed the trial to move forward, with Rohini’s statements already recorded in a Bengaluru magistrate’s court in September 2023. The trial will address allegations under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.