Govt left red-faced as women bureaucrats squabble

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma on Monday summoned IPS officer D Roopa and IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri over their public spat even as the State government took cognizance of the same.

Roopa had shared “private pictures” of Sindhuri and accused the latter of sharing the same with male colleagues. Sindhuri denied the charge and has demanded that Roopa produce proof of the same. On the same day Home Minister Araga Jnanendra took exception to the conduct of D Roopa and Rohini Sindhuri, and warned of action against them, accusing them of “bad behaviour” while Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is said to have directed the Chief Secretary to warn both officials regarding their conduct and social media posts.

The quarrel between Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Managing Director Roopa, an IPS officer, and IAS officer Sindhuri, the Muzrai Department Commissioner, reached the office of the Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma first when both submitted petitions seeking action against each other. Earlier too, both women had indulged in a public spat, with Roopa sharing a picture of Sindhuri with MLA Sa Ra Mahesh in a restaurant recently. The issue this time began with Roopa taking to social media alleging several "wrongdoings" of Sindhuri.

She also made personal remarks, accusing Sindhuri of misconduct and released personal pictures of her alleging that it was shared by her with a few male officers. In response, Sindhuri alleged Roopa is making such comments against her out of personal hatred, and was behaving as if she had lost her mental balance.

The two have accused each other of violating the Civil Services Conduct rules, and that they had brought it to the notice of the appropriate authorities. Sindhuri said she will take legal and other actions with appropriate authorities for Roopa's actions amounting to misconduct and criminal offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. Sindhuri on Monday met the Chief Secretary and presented her case.

Later speaking to reporters, she said, "Roopa is making baseless allegations against me, I had come to complain regarding it to the Chief Secretary. I have given the complaint and sought for action. Roopa is an IPS officer, her work jurisdiction has nothing to do with mine, she belongs to a different service, but still she has been repeatedly making allegations on social media regarding my professional life." She said that she was not on social media and that it wasn’t an appropriate platform to discuss the matter.

“Professionally, whatever she has spoken against me, I have submitted a report to the Chief Secretary on that.” “Regarding the personal allegations- what is the reason to make repeated baseless allegations against me? Let her reveal the names of the officers to whom she is alleging that I sent (personal pictures)."

Later, Roopa too met the Chief Secretary and submitted her complaint against Sindhuri. Stating she had brought things to the notice of higher ups in the government nearly a month ago, Roopa said that in the submission made before the Chief Secretary, she (Sindhuri) has not given any rebuttal to the allegations made by her.

“Photos too are not personal. They become the subject of service conduct rules violation, other than that on the seven to eight points relating to corruption, I am submitting with documents. Already a preliminary inquiry against her has been proved, but next step, disciplinary inquiry has not taken place, who is protecting her? Take action, as this is a corruption case," she said.

Roopa also alleged that Sindhuri had not declared immovable property and requested that permission be given to Lokayukta to probe a case against her that was rejected earlier. She also complained regarding giving architectural design work for Karnataka Bhavan in Tirupati at Rs10 crore without any tender while making several other allegations against her rival.

Reiterating her charge that pictures (personal pictures) were sent to some IAS officers, she said: “I have those chats and if any investigating agency probes, I will submit them. It is clearly service rules violation, because nobody should conduct in a way unbecoming of an IAS officer by sending indecent obscene pics to other select IAS officers for whatever reason. It is not a private matter." Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra expressed displeasure against the conduct of both officials.

“We are not sitting quiet; action will be taken against them. They both are behaving in such a bad way that not even normal people speak on the streets. Let them do whatever on their personal issues, but coming before the media and behaving in a way they are doing so is not right,” Jnanendra said. Law and Parliamentary