Hyderabad (03.05.2022): The Telangana High Court has ordered Smitha Sabharwal (IAS: 2001: TG)to refund Rs 15 lakh to the state within 90 days stating that the money sanctioned towards legal expenses to the officer from the exchequer to pursue a defamation case against a news magazine cannot be viewed as an expenditure made for a public purpose while the officer's claim against her defamation case stands valid.
If she fails to do so, the court directs the state government to recover the money from her. A bench of CJ Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili gave this order after hearing two PILs. The PILs were filed by two individuals and a writ petition was filed by the magazine that questioned the rationale behind the state's action in spending public money this way.
The issue arose when the officer felt aggrieved by a sarcastic piece published by the weekly magazine in one of its June 2015 issues on the appearance of the Sabharwals - her IPS husband and herself- in a fashion show organized by fashion designer Abhishek Dutta at a star hotel on June 18, 2015. She was working with the Chief Minister's Office as an additional secretary then (now she is a secretary). She wrote to the government contending that she wants to file a defamation case against the magazine seeking Rs10 crore damages. The state too felt that it was an attack on the state and granted Rs 15 lakh towards her legal expenses.
Telangana HC asks IAS officer to refund Rs 15 lakh to exchequer
By IndianMandarins - 2022-05-03 15:00:00
Hyderabad (03.05.2022): The Telangana High Court has ordered Smitha Sabharwal (IAS: 2001: TG)to refund Rs 15 lakh to the state within 90 days stating that the money sanctioned towards legal expenses to the officer from the exchequer to pursue a defamation case against a news magazine cannot be viewed as an expenditure made for a public purpose while the officer's claim against her defamation case stands valid.
If she fails to do so, the court directs the state government to recover the money from her. A bench of CJ Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili gave this order after hearing two PILs. The PILs were filed by two individuals and a writ petition was filed by the magazine that questioned the rationale behind the state's action in spending public money this way.
The issue arose when the officer felt aggrieved by a sarcastic piece published by the weekly magazine in one of its June 2015 issues on the appearance of the Sabharwals - her IPS husband and herself- in a fashion show organized by fashion designer Abhishek Dutta at a star hotel on June 18, 2015. She was working with the Chief Minister's Office as an additional secretary then (now she is a secretary). She wrote to the government contending that she wants to file a defamation case against the magazine seeking Rs10 crore damages. The state too felt that it was an attack on the state and granted Rs 15 lakh towards her legal expenses.