Bengaluru| February 19: Bureaucratic circles of Karnataka were in for a shock Sunday as IPS officer D Roopa Moudgil released some pictures of IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, claiming that she had sent these pics to three male IAS officers.
Sindhuri issued a media statement, saying that Roopa was carrying out a “campaign of lies and abuse.” She said that she would file a complaint against Roopa with the competent authority and pursue all legal remedies against her.
The pictures were released a day after Roopa made 19 allegations against the IAS officer, in which she alleged Sindhuri of sending ‘not so decent’ pictures to several IAS officers. “As per All India Service Conduct Rules, sharing such pictures and having such conversation is an offence,” she posted Saturday, seeking an investigation into the same.
On Sunday, she shared on her Facebook page seven pictures of Sindhuri had allegedly shared with IAS officers in 2021 and 2022. Roopa asked in the post, “what does it mean when a female IAS officer sends such pictures one to one to not one, not two but three male IAS officers? Then this is not a private matter (of Sindhuri)”. The IPS officer said that such behaviour was an offence and urged investigating agencies to verify the authenticity of the picture. “Pictures of her (getting a) haircut in a salon, of her sleeping on a pillow (etc) might appear normal to some people. However, the context in which it was sent speaks otherwise,” she said.
Speaking to reporters, Roopa asked “authorities not to have ‘misplaced sympathy'” towards Sindhuri, and investigate all the charges against her. “I have brought them to the attention of the public,” she said.
Despite several complaints against her, no action is initiated, the IPS officer alleged. Among the red flags raised by Roopa was delay in initiating departmental enquiry against Sindhuri over construction of a swimming pool at the Mysuru DC residence (Sannidhi) – a heritage building – during her tenure in the district. Though preliminary enquiry against her by IAS officer Dr Ravishankar had found her to be guilty of violating norms. “Yet there has been no departmental enquiry. Who is supporting her?” she asked.
The 19 allegations include – Rohini misusing her authority to seek details from Department of Survey, Settlement and Land Records of certain plots of lands to help her husband and late father-in-law’s real-estate business, allegedly spending crores for Italian furniture and German appliances for an undeclared property, a Lokayukta complaint against her alleging that she reimbursed bills 10 times the value of bags distributed, her role in the suicide of IAS officer DK Ravi etc.
Sindhuri, in her statement said, that Roopa was behaving as if she had lost her mental faculties to pursue a vendetta against her.
“Roopa IPS has collected photos from social media and screenshots of (my) WhatsApp status to defame me. As she has alleged that I have sent these pics to some officials, I urge her to reveal their name,” she said.
Roopa was sinking low to pursue her hostility towards her, Sinduri alleged. The IPS officer always wants to attract media attention by making baseless allegations, she added.
Prior to these sensational claims, JD(S) KR Nagar MLA Sa Ra Mahesh had sought time in the ongoing budget session of state legislature to raise certain complaints against the officer. Mahesh, it can be recalled, had a bitter spat with Sindhuri during her tenure as Mysuru DC. However, the issue was dropped after a minister intervened and argued against raising such issues in the Assembly.
On Saturday, a picture of Mahesh and Sindhuri at a ‘compromise meeting’ with another IAS officer Capt P Manivannan was released to media outlets. Following the meeting, Mahesh said, “I am not a person who asks for apologies. But, she (Sindhuri) needs to change. She should not commit mistakes and blame it on others.
She has apologised. But, she shouldn’t repeat it,” he said, adding that he had submitted some documents to the government and Chief Secretary. “They will take action….. I will not pile any pressure to initiate any action or make any statements about this,” the MLA said.
There were also speculations in the past about Mahesh being in possession of some chats and pictures of Sindhuri she had allegedly shared with another IAS officer.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, when asked about the issue, said that the issue was personal in nature.
