In Fight Over "Private Pics", Big Relief For Bureaucrat Rohini Sindhuri

 A civil court in Bengaluru has restricted IPS officer D Roopa and nearly 60 media houses from publishing "false and defamatory" statements against IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri.

The two Karnataka bureaucrats were engaged in a public spat over "private pics". D Roopa, who shared private photos of Ms Sindhuri on social media, claimed that Ms Sindhuri had violated service conduct rules by sending her photos to male IAS officers. D Roopa alleged that Ms Sindhuri had shared them with three IAS officers in 2021 and 2022.

The public squabbling blew out of proportion, with the two officers being transferred without posting. D Roopa's husband Munish Moudgil, an IAS officer himself, was also transferred.

D Roopa was removed as Managing Director of the Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation and Ms Sindhuri as the Commissioner of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department.

The civil court today issued a summons and a restriction order to one of the media houses which had filed a caveat earlier. The media house and D Roopa have been ordered to file their objections on March 7, 2023. The remaining media houses have been given time till March 17 to file their objections.

"It is also noticed that both the plaintiff and defendant No.60 (D Roopa) are primarily the public servants holding considerably responsible post under the Government. The Service Rules regulating their conduct cannot be undermined. Unfortunately, the conduct of public servants had invoked the jurisdiction of the Civil Court. As such at this stage it is noticed that issuance of TI against defendant No.60 would not come in the conduct and discharge of duties and functions of a public servant," the court order read.

"Hence, emergent notice of TI shall be issued to defendant No.60. At the same time, it is made clear that plaintiff shall restrain herself from publishing or circulating any statements or expressions or views concerning the subject matter of this suit. It is also noticed from the records that defendant No.3 has filed a Caveat," the court added.

In the hugely publicised spat, D Roopa also levelled corruption allegations against Ms Sindhuri who claimed that the former was running a "false, personal vilification campaign" against her.