New Delhi: In a major growth, the Supreme Court has imposed an interim keep on the prison defamation proceedings initiated by senior IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri in opposition to Karnataka’s high IPS officer, D Roopa. The bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, not solely stayed the proceedings but in addition issued a directive forbidding the concerned civil servants from partaking with the media.
Media Gag on Karnataka’s Elite Civil Servants
The court docket’s order on December 15 explicitly said, “The Criminal Case subject matter of this petition will not proceed further… Considering the fact that we are making an attempt to resolve all the disputes pending between the parties, none of them shall give any interview or any information to the media, social and print, in any form.”
The keep got here into impact after IPS officer Roopa filed an affidavit, complying with the earlier order to take away controversial social media posts in opposition to IAS officer Sindhuri. The court docket, whereas posting the matter for a listening to on January 12, 2024, warned that any failure to take down the contentious posts could be dropped at Roopa’s counsel’s consideration.
A Timeline of Allegations and Counterclaims
The authorized tussle started when Sindhuri accused Roopa of conducting a “character assassination” via social media posts. Sindhuri’s defamation criticism outlined Roopa’s alleged actions of sharing images, making public allegations, and issuing statements within the media, questioning her private {and professional} conduct to tarnish her popularity.
The apex court docket’s involvement got here after a sequence of occasions, together with the Karnataka High Court’s refusal in August to quash the prison defamation case initiated by Sindhuri in opposition to Roopa. The spat between the 2 officers prompted the State authorities to switch each people.
A Duel within the Courts
On December 14, the Supreme Court directed Roopa to take away the contentious posts whereas listening to her petition to quash the prison defamation criticism. Roopa had earlier approached the High Court for the case’s quashing, however her plea was rejected, main her to maneuver to the Supreme Court.
The high court docket, through the enchantment, expressed issues concerning the ongoing feud, emphasizing that if the officers continued to withstand mediation, the State administration may come to a standstill. As the authorized saga continues, the January 12 listening to guarantees to be an important chapter within the ongoing battle between these two high-profile civil servants.
