SC asks IPS officer D Roopa to delete social media posts against IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri by tomorrow

Today (December 14, 2023), the Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Pankaj Mithal asked IPS officer D Roopa to delete her social media posts against IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri by tomorrow (December 15, 2023). The bench was hearing a petition filed by IPS officer D Roopa seeking to quash a criminal defamation complaint filed by IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri. Also, the SC orally directed that if it is not possible (for IPS Ropa) to delete all the posts, she should at least put up a post withdrawing all her comments against IAS Sindhuri. 

Earlier this year, two Karnataka officers were involved in a public spat after certain personal pictures of Sindhuri were shared by Roopa on social media. Roopa leveled 19 allegations against Sindhuri including corruption charges. In this context, Sindhuri filed a defamation case against Roopa seeking an ‘unconditional apology in writing’ and one crore rupees for the ‘loss of reputation and mental agony’.

After hearing the matter, the bench ordered Roopa to remove the posts within 24 hours and said, “We want to bring an end to the whole dispute. That is the only reason that we are hearing it. Don’t be under the impression that we are entertaining your petition or trying to hold in your favor. No. We are not doing that. We are doing it for the sake of administration of the state.” It further added, “Both of them must understand that in this Court, there is no place for emotions…maybe today, both of them and agitated. But if it continues after ten or fifteen years, they will realize that they have wasted a lot of time and energy. Both of them will blame themselves.”

Moreover, Justice Oka said that an affidavit must be filed by Roopa by tomorrow illustrating the posts she has deleted and if some of them could not be deleted for a reason then she should put up a post to clarify whatever she posted against Sindhuri.