Supreme Court Issues Notice On IAS Officer Rohini Sindhuri’s Plea In Mysuru Cloth Bag Case

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Karnataka government and the complainant on an appeal filed by IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri challenging a Karnataka High Court order that directed the state to grant sanction for an investigation into the alleged Mysuru cloth bag procurement scam.

A Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu sought responses from both parties while hearing Sindhuri’s petition.

The case relates to the procurement of eco-friendly cloth bags during Sindhuri’s tenure as Mysuru Deputy Commissioner.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court directed the state government to grant sanction for an investigation within four weeks while hearing a petition filed by complainant Ravichandra Gowda.

Appearing for Sindhuri before the Supreme Court, her counsel argued that the state government had denied sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act after a departmental inquiry found no irregularities in her actions.

The High Court held that a clean chit in a departmental inquiry could not prevent a criminal investigation if allegations warranted further examination.

According to the complaint, the administration purchased cloth bags at Rs 52 per bag despite similar bags being available in the open market for around Rs 13.

The complainant alleged that the procurement caused a loss of approximately Rs 7.6 crore to the state exchequer.

The High Court observed that an independent investigation was necessary to determine whether the procurement process involved any irregularities.

The Supreme Court will take up the matter again after receiving responses from the Karnataka government and the complainant.

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