IPS officer Roopa to look into jail scam report

BENGALURU: IPS officer D Roopa who reported corruption in Central Jail, Benglauru, last year won a round in her battle against the state government, with the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) ordering home department officials to provide her a copy of the Vinay Kumar report that looked into her allegations.

In an order  which dated November 27, information commissioner L Krishnamurthy initiated the under-secretary (prisons) of the home department to give the copy of the Vinay Kumar report to Roopa within 30 days of the issuance of the order. Roopa, who is now inspector general of police and additional commandant of Home Guards, has been urging the government to publicise the report for about a year. 

Vinay Kumar, a retired IPS officer, had submitted the report to the chief secretary on November 13, 2017. “The government could have avoided the embarrassment had it publicised the report immediately after it was submitted last year. The KIC order is a slap on its face,” said BH Veeresh, trustee of RTI Study Centre.

He said the rejection of information to a person halting office in her capacity as an IPS officer smacks of the rot in the system.Roopa, then deputy inspector general of prisons, had early last year alleged that irregularities were unchecked in the jail and that expelled AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, her accomplice Ilavarasi, and kingpin of stamp paper scam Karim Lala were being provided special service.

Roopa had in her complaint against HN Satyanarayana Rao, then director general of police (prisons) and Ravi, additional police commissioner (crime), accused jail authorities of accepting Rs 2 crore bribe from Sasikala to accord her VIP treatment. She had also alleged smuggling of drugs and money into the prison.Roopa’s complaint created political ripples in Karnataka, resulting in her transfer. The government set up an inquiry commission led by Vinay Kumar to act on the allegations. The report submitted to the chief secretary (CS) is learnt to have mentioned about Sasikala and Ilavarasi being provided with luxury rooms for stay and a separate kitchen and cot with bed.

After Kumar submitted the report, Roopa applied for a copy of it under RTI on December 26, 2017. However, the home department declined to give the report, citing ongoing check in the case. Roopa then petitioned KIC, which has ruled in her favour.“Since it is noted that the government has already accepted the report, the authorities cannot take the ground that the case is still under investigation. It is ordered that the report should be given within 30 days of the order,” said the KIC verdict.