D. Roopa | Photo Credit: file photo
Intervening in the bitter tussle between two senior officers of the State, one of whom took to social media to make allegations against the other on Sunday, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma is learnt to have directed both not to air their opinions in public and adhere to service rules.
The development came on Monday amidst both officers -- Managing Director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation and IPS officer D. Roopa, and IAS officer and Endowment Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri -- meeting the Chief Secretary to complain about each other, besides explaining their stance.
Under pressure to transfer both officials for having embarrassed the government, sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said that the issue and the fallout of the public spat was informally discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Monday.
“Chief Secretary has spoken to officials and both have promised to maintain discipline. The complaints are being reviewed as per rules. Till then, both have been asked to adhere to the All India Services Conduct rules,” Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
While Ms. Roopa, who had posted her comments on social media platform on Sunday attaching some of the personal photos of Ms. Sindhuri, continued her tirade on Monday too, presenting more details of personal chats on social media allegedly involving Ms. Sindhuri, the IAS officer, on the other hand, told presspersons in Vidhana Soudha that she had clarified to the Chief Secretary on all the comments made on her professional work, and her husband had responded to personal remarks. “Instead of making baseless allegations, let her (Ms. Roopa) reveal the names of officers to whom I have allegedly sent photographs,” she said.
Police complaint
In a related development, Ms. Sindhuri’s husband and realtor Sudhir Reddy complained to Bagalkunte police, stating that Ms. Roopa had defamed and outraged the modesty of his wife. Accusing the IPS officer of accessing photos that were personal in nature through hacking, Mr. Reddy said Ms. Roopa had misused her official position due to personal agenda or jealousy.
Providing a detailed rebuttal on allegations hurled by Ms. Roopa on her social media account, Ms. Sindhuri had in writing not only provided explanation to the Chief Secretary, but had also sought action against the IPS officer for violating All India Services Conduct Rules.
“The very act of posting false and scandalising posts against another officer amounts to an act unbecoming of an IPS officer. Any grievance an officer has against another officer or seeks action against an officer then the prescribed method is to report with details to the government and not carry out media trial and indulge in character assassination. More so, using false statements,” said her complaint to the Chief Secretary.
Ms. Roopa, who also met the Chief Secretary, submitted a complaint with a list of alleged wrong doings by Ms. Sindhuri. She sought a speedy inquiry into pre-existing complaints, and wants fresh queries to be taken up on certain other matters of alleged corruption. Claiming to have certain evidence in some cases, Ms. Roopa sought to be called as a witness in such investigations.
Expressing disappointment over the tussle between the two officials, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said: “The incident creates a suspicion whether the government is functioning or not.”
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