In Fight Over "Private Pics", Karnataka Officer Demands Rs 1 Crore Compensation

IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri has sent a notice to IPS officer D Roopa for allegedly making "false and defamatory posts" against her and warned of criminal proceedings if she does not issue an unconditional apology in writing within 24 hours.

This comes after IPS officer D Roopa accused the IAS officer of corruption. Roopa also posted Sindhuri's pictures on Facebook alleging that she had shared them with three IAS officers in 2021 and 2022.

Roopa had claimed that Sindhuri had violated the rules of service conduct by sending her pictures to male IAS officers.

Following the accusations, the IAS officer sent a notice through advocate CV Nagesh and demanded an unconditional apology stating that the "serious allegation" against her touches her "character".

"As things stood, while my client was discharging her duties under her current position she has come across a Facebook post dated February 18, 2023, which incidentally your Facebook page bearing the name "D Roopa Moudgil" wherein you have alleged that no IAS Officer would go for a settlement with an MLA or Politician regarding their official work/ service and that for the first time you heard about such an incident and has cast aspersions on our client that she has done so and has alleged/questioned why our client went for a settlement with Sri. Sa Ra Mahesh, an MLA and implying that our client is trying to cover-up something with respect to either her service or corruption," the notice said.

"Presumably not having received the desired media attention to such per se false and defamatory posts, you have indulged in uploading photos of our client and projecting the same to be explicit photos by imputing a meaning that the said photos ought to be seen in "context" with a malafide intention of colouring the photos with meanings that the same are explicit by falsely alleging that they were sent to "three lAS Ofticers". You have made such serious allegation against our client which touches her character and conduct knowing fully well that the same are false and far from truth," it further read.

The notice further said that the posts and allegations were made with the objective of "tarnishing the professional, personal and social image" of Sindhuri.

The IAS officer sought compensation of Rs 1 crore for the same.

"From the course of your conduct in making the per-se defamatory comments/statements/allegations, knowing and having reason to believe that the said comments/statements/allegations are false and far from truth, you have committed a serious offence which is made penal under Section 500 of the Indian penal Code," the notice said.

"Under the circumstances stated above, we have been instructed to demand of you which we hereby do, that you should within 24 Hours of the receipt of this notice, tender to our client an unconditional apology in writing for having made the said per se defamatory comments/statements/allegations," it added.

She further warned of criminal proceedings if the IPS officer failed to comply to the demands.

"If you fail to comply with the above demands, our client would be constrained to institute appropriate Criminal proceedings against you by filing an appropriate compliant before the jurisdictional Magistrate for an offence which is made penal under section 500 of Indian Penal Code," the notice said.

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