A magistrate’s court in Bengaluru has ordered telecom service providers Bharti Airtel Limited and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd to preserve call detail records (CDRs) from January 15, 2021, to February 28, 2023, related to the ongoing dispute between Karnataka IPS officer Ms. D Roopa and IAS officer Ms. Rohini Sindhuri (both 2009-batch officers).
Also Read: Won’t Settle Case With IPS D Roopa: Says IAS Rohini Sindhuri In SC
The directive was issued on February 15 concerning a criminal defamation case filed by Ms. Sindhuri in 2023 against Ms. Roopa. The IAS officer alleged that Ms. Roopa had shared photos and made defamatory allegations against her on social media, damaging her personal and professional reputation. The case, filed under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, seeks Rs. 1 crore in damages.
The magistrate’s court ruled in favor of preserving the CDRs after Ms. Roopa contended that they were relevant to the case. At the same time, Ms. Sindhuri argued that they were unrelated to the allegedly defamatory statements made in February 2023. Additionally, the court rejected Ms. Sindhuri’s request to be exempted from cross-examination by Ms. Roopa, citing no valid grounds for such exemption.
The legal battle stems from a high-profile public spat between the two officers in early 2023, which resulted in both being temporarily removed from their government postings. The Karnataka High Court had earlier refused to quash the defamation case, leading Ms. Roopa to approach the Supreme Court, which initially stayed proceedings in December 2023 to allow for reconciliation. However, after an unsuccessful settlement attempt, the case resumed in the magistrate’s court.
Also Read: IAS Rohini vs IPS D Roopa Case: SC Bench Asks Their Lawyers to Amicably Explore a Settlement
