IAS Officer Rohini Sindhuri Vs IPS Officer D. Roopa 

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) has indicated its inclination to bring the criminal defamation case initiated by IAS Officer and former Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri against IPS Officer D. Roopa to a close, citing the bright future of both officers.

Hearing the case filed by Sindhuri against Roopa yesterday, the Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, sought clarification from Roopa’s Counsel on whether all social media posts had been taken down and inquired whether the matter could be closed with a settlement between both parties.

Sindhuri has alleged in her defamation complaint that Roopa shared photos, made allegations on social media, and made statements in the media questioning her personal and professional conduct to tarnish her before the public and colleagues. The case was filed under the IPC Section 500 (defamation), seeking damages of Rs. 1 crore. Last December, the Court had directed Roopa to remove her social media posts against Rohini Sindhuri.

During yesterday’s hearing, the Counsel representing Sindhuri stated that the case could be closed, but insisted on an apology. “Derogatory posts directed at me can be erased from social media, but the impact on my family is deeply distressing. How can I pursue a career in public life? I want an unconditional apology from Roopa,” Sindhuri told the Court through her Advocate. She told the Court that public perceptions of individuals change, making it challenging to remain silent.

Countering this, Roopa submitted that Sindhuri had publicly stated that she (Roopa) was delusional, an assertion denied by Sindhuri’s Lawyer, who argued that delusional individuals make posts like this but clarified that Sindhuri did not claim Roopa was delirious.

The Bench cautioned against making personal allegations, and Sindhuri’s Counsel stressed the need for an unconditional apology, citing media harassment of his client’s family. While Roopa’s Counsel mentioned the removal of content, the Court insisted on regret from both sides.

The Bench urged the Counsel to take the initiative, emphasising the importance of removing content from social media. The Court granted them a month for these actions, acknowledging the potential difficulty in compelling a resolution if emotions remained high.

The Court scheduled the matter for further hearing in the second week of February.

The row between the two officials surfaced after Roopa levelled 19 personal allegations against Sindhuri.