K.R. Nagar MLA, former Deputy Mayor submit 1,200 pages of documents to Inquiry Officer

Mysore/Mysuru: Former Minister and K.R. Nagar JD(S) MLA S.R. Mahesh submitted documents corroborating his allegations against the previous Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rohini Sindhuri.

The records, running into 1,200 pages, were submitted during the preliminary inquiry that began yesterday into allegations of ‘misuse of office’ by the then DC of Mysuru. The MLA, accompanied by former Deputy Mayor V. Shylendra appeared before IAS officer and Secretary of Housing Department J. Ravishankar to submit the documents at the DC Office.

Ravishankar had been appointed by the State Government to hold a preliminary inquiry into the charges levelled against the former DC. MLA Mahesh is one of the complainants and had accused Rohini Sindhuri of ‘misuse of office’ and claimed that he had gathered enough documentary evidence to substantiate his allegations.

Mahesh and Shailendra, who had earlier lodged a complaint against Rohini Sindhuri, were summoned to appear before the Inquiry Officer on Aug. 19.

Later speaking to reporters, MLA Mahesh said that he had gathered evidence in support of all the charges he had made against the former DC and that the State Government must suspend her pending inquiry. “I don’t have anything personal against her and I only want to bring to the fore the corruption against her,” he said.

He said that the charges include violation of heritage conservation norms by constructing an indoor gym and swimming pool in the official residence of Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru on Hunsur Road, which is a heritage structure. She exerted pressure on Nirmithi Kendra to execute the project, the MLA alleged.

The second charge against her is approving the purchase of eco-friendly cloth bags for distribution among local bodies of the district without obtaining the consent of the elected representatives of the local bodies. The purchase was made at a very high cost and the State Exchequer had incurred losses of crores of rupees.

The third charge against the former DC is that she had a role in the oxygen shortage in Chamarajanagar District Hospital that led to the death of 28 COVID-19 patients. Though Mysuru had a surplus oxygen supply during the peak of COVID, oxygen was denied to Chamarajanagar that desperately needed it, resulting in the death of patients, he alleged.

The next charge against Rohini Sindhuri is that she deliberately suppressed the COVID death numbers in Mysuru and projected to the Government and the public that she had curbed the spread of the disease. The death audit at burial grounds and crematoriums showed a higher number of deaths, he alleged.

On her part, Rohini Sindhuri had earlier denied all allegations and said that the charges of corruption, violation of heritage norms and hiding the death numbers were baseless and malicious. She is yet to appear before the Inquiry Officer.