Karnataka High Court Directs Govt To Allow Prosecution Of IAS Officer Rohini Sindhuri In ₹7 Crore Eco-Bag Scam

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to grant approval for persecution of IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, who is accused in `Eco-frindly bags purchasing scam,' that took place 2021, when she was Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru as well as MD of Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation.

Earlier, the state government had rejected the plea for prosecution permission sought by the petitioner Ravichandre Gowda, who is a lawyer and social activist from Mysuru, who alleged that Rohini Sindhuri had purchased eco-friendly bags by paying ₹ 52 per bag, while the market value was ₹ 13 per bag, resulting in loss of ₹ 7 crore to the state exchequer.

Ravichandre Gowda had filed a complaint before the Anti-Corruption Bureauin 2021, seeking action against Sindhuri. On Sep 19, 2022, the state government declined permission to prosecute Sindhuri and the petitioner approached the High Court. The high court directed the state government to consider the request afresh, but the government rejected the request again on May 26, 2025.

When the petitioner approached the high court again, Single Judge in the Karnataka High Court Justice Nagaprasanna noted: ``Ordinarily, this court would have deemed it appropriate to remit the matter back to the government for a fresh consideration. However, in the peculiar facts of the present case, such a course is both unnecessary and unwarranted. The coordinate bench had already issued a clear mandate to reconsider the matter in accordance with law. Yet, the government, instead of undertaking a meaningful re-evaluation, chose to reiterate its earlier position, albeit with a little justification. In the circumstance, a further remand would serve no fruitful purpose and would only prolong the process to the detriment of justice.''

Referring to many Supreme Court judgments, Justice Nagaprasanna noted that ``the spectre of corruption once raised on the basis of material placed on record, cannot be summarily extinguished at the threshold.It must be allowed to unfold through the process of investigation, which alone can ascertain the truth.Departmental proceedings and criminal prosecution operate in distinct spheres, governed by distinct standards of proof and objectives. The closure of one does not ipso facto extinguish the other,'' he added.