Karnataka IAS vs IPS row: Show cause notices issued to both Rohini Sindhuri, Roopa Moudgil

Two senior female bureaucrats in Karnataka have made serious allegations against each other with one of them sharing other's 'private photos' on social media. The state government is furious over their conduct and has issued show-cause notices to both.

Bengaluru:With two senior female bureaucrats -- Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Managing Director D Roopa Moudgil, an IPS officer, and Rohini Sindhuri, an IAS officer who is currently serving as Muzrai Department Commissioner -- making serious allegations against each other, the state government is not pleased with their behaviour and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has instructed the Chief Secretary to issue show cause notices to both officers.

On Monday, Sindhuri filed a formal complaint against D Roopa with Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma. It came a day after Roopa went on to social media and accused Sindhuri of "wrongdoings". Moreover, she shockingly shared the personal pictures of Sindhuri on her Facebook account alleging that the same were shared by Sindhuri with some female officers in 2021 and 2022. Roopa alleged that Sindhuri had broken service rules by sharing the pictures with her male counterparts.

On Saturday, Roopa had accused Sindhuri of corruption and said she had informed Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma about the same. Sindhuri, however, trashed the allegations and said that Roopa had made the comments out of hatred. She even said that Roopa had "lost her mental balance".

Roopa, Sindhuri said, was carrying out a "false, personal vilification campaign" against her and threatened action. In her statement, Sindhuri said: "She (Roopa) collected photos from social media and screenshots of (my) WhatsApp status to defame me. As she has alleged that I sent these pictures to some officials, I urge her to reveal their names."

"Mental illness is a huge problem, it needs to be addressed by medication and counselling. When it affects people in responsible positions, it becomes all the more dangerous. Roopa IPS has been driving false, personal vilification campaigns against me which is her standard modus operandi," she alleged.

Given the controversy, the statement government plans to take strict action with Home Minister Araga Jnanendra expressing displeasure against the officers. The minister said that the government was "not sitting quiet" and 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 is not right," Jnanendra said while speaking to reporters here.

IAS and IPS officers are seen with great respect but the two officers, Jnanendra said, have caused humiliation to such officers. "We have good officials of high ranking, they are the ones who run the state and the country, but a few such people are bringing a bad name to the whole of the official class, they have to be punished. I have spoken to DG (Director General of Police) and will be speaking to the CS (Chief Secretary)," he said.

He said the two officers were already warned in the past and since they have not heeded it, strict action will follow now. He added that the two officers have mentioned several ministers while accusing each other and the Chief Minister was aware of the situation. "He will take a strict decision," the minister said.