IAS vs IPS: Warring K’taka female civil servants transferred

Karnataka government on Tuesday transferred two female senior civil servants for indulging in a public spat and causing severe embarrassment to the ruling dispensation.

Senior IPS officer D. Roopa Moudgil and senior IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri have been transferred without postings, sources said.

While Roopa served as the Managing Director at the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited, Rohini worked in the capacity of Commissioner for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.

Munish Moudgil, the husband of Roopa, has also been shifted from the post of Commissioner, Survey Settlement and Land Records to the post of Principal Secretary of the Department of Administrative and Personnel Reforms (DPAR).

Rohini Sindhuri and Roopa issued media statements and put up social media posts over the publication of personal pictures and corruption charges. Both officers, very popular in Karnataka for their anti-politicians stand have continued to spit in public even as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Home Minister Araga Gnanendra warned them.

Their spat turned ugly as charges included the publication of private pictures. Roopa claimed that Rohini sent her pictures, including private ones, to IAS officers. Rohini’s husband Sudheer Reddy termed Roopa “mentally sick”. Rohini asked Roopa to get well soon.

Roopa and Rohini had filed complaints against each other with the Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma.

Roopa came to the limelight after the arrest of Uma Bharati, then CM of Madhya Pradesh on her way to hoist the tricolor at the controversial Hubballi Idgah Maidan. Roopa is also known for not being submissive to politicians and challenging them.

Rohini Sindhuri had taken on former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s family on their home turf Hassan. Her faceoff with Deve Gowda’s son H.D. Revanna in Hassan has been appreciated by people.

Both officers have a huge fan following in Karnataka and as per sources, they have become victims of political moves by invisible hands.