Mediation Mandate: Supreme Court Intervenes in Karnataka Officers' Defamation Battle

The Supreme Court has asked Karnataka officers IPS D Roopa Moudgil and IAS Rohini Sindhuri to mediate their prolonged dispute, affecting both careers. The court appointed Justice Kurian Joseph as mediator, temporarily halting all proceedings. The conflict arose from Sindhuri's defamation allegations against Roopa's social media posts.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed senior Karnataka officials IPS D Roopa Moudgil and IAS Rohini Sindhuri to pursue mediation to resolve their ongoing legal feud, which has been detrimental to their professional lives. A bench comprising Justices Satish Chandra Sharma and Sanjeev Sachdeva proposed mediation, emphasizing an amicable resolution over continued litigation.

In a noteworthy development, the highest court appointed former Justice Kurian Joseph to mediate the defamation case between the two officers. The court expressed the view that both officers are exemplary in their duties but are harming each other's careers through persistent disputes.

As an interim measure, the Supreme Court ordered a stay on all pending proceedings between them. This follows a prior interim stay on criminal defamation cases initiated by Sindhuri against Roopa. The court also instructed that they refrain from media interactions about this matter.

The action was prompted by an affidavit Roopa filed, as directed previously, to delete contentious social media posts against Sindhuri. This was part of her appeal to quash the defamation complaint filed by Sindhuri, which was earlier upheld by the Karnataka High Court.

Sindhuri accused Roopa of character assassination through media and social media statements, which escalated to public discord, leading to their state-mandated transfer. Demanding an apology and Rs 1 crore in damages, Sindhuri's legal action proceeded in a Bengaluru court, which initiated a criminal defamation case against Roopa—a decision Roopa challenged in the High Court and subsequently at the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court warned that ongoing contention and refusal for mediation could severely impact state administration functions.