A Karnataka court has directed the police to file a criminal defamation case against IPS officer D Roopa Moudgil, for allegedly posting objectionable pictures and videos of IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, and for accusing her of unethical practices. The 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate issued the order on Friday, March 24, based on a private complaint filed by Rohini. The directions were issued over a month after a public spat between the two officers.
Rohini stated in court that she had come across a post on social media on February 18, in which Roopa alleged that Rohini had engaged in a “settlement” with JD(S) MLA Sa Ra Mahesh regarding official work. In her post, Roopa had questioned why an officer was meeting a politician and whether a compromise was being struck. Rohini refuted the accusations, calling them false and baseless. She added that they had cast doubt on her professionalism and accused her of corruption.
Rohini maintained that all of Roopa's accusations were untrue and were made with the intention of defaming her character and reputation. She alleged that Roopa’s accusations were defamatory in nature. The court took cognisance of Rohini’s complaint and instructed the police to register a criminal defamation case against Roopa under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. The section stipulates that defamation is a criminal offence that can result in imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both.
The public spat between Roopa and Rohini had caused embarrassment for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. The situation escalated to the point where the Prime Minister's office had to step in and reprimand Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for his inaction in the matter. The PMO sought to know why Bommai had not taken the issue seriously and stopped the conflict from escalating further.
The feud began when pictures emerged of Rohini Sindhuri and JD(S) MLA Sa Ra Mahesh sitting together in a restaurant. This led to a public spat between Rohini and Roopa, with allegations and counter-allegations being made about corruption and unprofessional conduct. The situation ultimately resulted in the transfer of both officers from their previous positions, without any new postings. The move has been interpreted as a response to the escalating conflict and an attempt to defuse tension between the two officers.