After the Karnataka High Court declined to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought by IPS officer D. Roopa Moudgil, the legal battle between Roopa and IAS official Rohini Sindhuri has progressed. The judgment permits Sindhuri’s criminal defamation case to proceed before a Bengaluru Magistrate Court.
The case will now go before the 7th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Court, which had previously taken cognizance of the private complaint and given notice, after the High Court declined to become involved.
Background of the defamation case
The case started in 2023 when D. Roopa went to the 7th ACMM Court to claim that Rohini Sindhuri had disparaged her in a public appearance. The case claims that the remarks caused mental anguish and harm to one’s reputation after they were shared on social media.
Rohini Sindhuri petitioned the Karnataka High Court to have the entire defamation action dismissed after the Magistrate Court accepted the complaint. She contended in her appeal that the proceedings need to be stopped. Now that the plea has been rejected by the High Court, the lower court procedure can continue.
Social media post and alleged impact
Rohini Sindhuri’s statement to the media on February 19, 2023, which was then circulated on the social media site ‘X’ (previously Twitter), is the subject of the complaint. According to Roopa, the comment attracted a lot of attention online and featured derogatory language.
The complaint claims that the post’s prominence was boosted by an estimated 1.8 lakh views. According to Roopa, her professional reputation suffered and she was humiliated as a result of the words being circulated.
She added that she was left without an official assignment for almost six months after a transfer order was issued without a specific posting in response to the public remarks. According to the complaint, this time frame resulted in both professional and financial damages.
Also Read: You do sex work in massage parlours’, Delhi Couple Accused of Harassing Women from Arunachal
Roopa has also claimed that her family members had emotional suffering as a result of the comments going viral.
The Bengaluru Magistrate Court will now continue to investigate the claims, including the circumstances surrounding the 2023 statement and its social media propagation, after the High Court declined to halt the proceedings. In the upcoming weeks, more hearings in the case are anticipated.
