Two senior women bureaucrats lock horns over social media posts

Rohini Sindhuri, D. Roopa openly hurl accusations against each other

Causing a flutter in the State bureaucracy, two senior women bureaucrats indulged in a public quarrel on social media on Sunday. A woman IPS officer took to social media to accuse a woman IAS officer of several wrongdoings. She also released the woman IAS officer’s personal pictures allegedly shared with a few male officers.

In two long posts, Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Managing Director D. Roopa, an IPS officer, made personal remarks against Muzrai Department Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri and accused her of corruption, among others. However, Ms. Sindhuri termed the allegations as baseless that were made on personal hatred. She said that Ms. Roopa, who holds a responsible position, was behaving as if she had lost her mental balance.

Both accused the other of violating the Civil Services Conduct rules, and that they had brought the respective violations to the notice of the appropriate authorities.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that the two are involved in mudslinging, as in the past Ms. Roopa had attacked Ms. Sindhuri. Also, individually, the two officials have landed in controversies in their official capacities over the last few years.  

Ms. Roopa’s posts, in which she attached personal photographs of Ms. Sindhuri, seems to have come after a photo of Ms. Sindhuri meeting K.R. Nagar MLA Sa. Ra. Mahesh allegedly to patch up with him went viral. Incidentally, Ms. Sindhuri as Mysuru Deputy Commissioner had made allegations of land-grab against the legislator, who has filed a defamation case against the officer. However, many social media users questioned the posting of personal photographs on social media and also making accusations instead of reporting it to the appropriate authority.

Questioning the meeting of Ms. Sindhuri with Mr. Mahesh, the IPS officer asked why was there a compromise meeting between the two when the officer had taken decisions in official capacity. She accused Ms. Sindhuri of wrongdoing during her postings in Mandya, Hassan, and Mysuru districts, and her previous alleged squabbles with her colleagues.

In response, Ms. Sidhuri accused Ms. Roopa of driving false and personal vilification campaign against her. She said: “The photos are screenshots and picked from social media posts/ WhatsApp status and used to scandalise me.” Further, she said: “It is her (Ms. Roopa) standard modus operandi. She has done it in every place she has worked. She has always craved for media attention. I will take legal and other actions with appropriate authorities for her actions amounting to misconduct and criminal offences under various sections of IPC.”