The Gachibowli police have issued a second notice to senior IAS officer Ms. Smita Sabharwal (2001 batch) (2001-batch officer) in connection with the Kancha Gachibowli land dispute case, after she did not respond to an earlier communication requesting her cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are probing the alleged circulation of morphed and misleading content related to the land case on social media platforms, which included edited videos, images, and clips. Ms. Sabharwal had reportedly reposted certain material on her verified X (formerly Twitter) account, drawing the attention of investigators.
The initial notice requested Ms. Sabharwal to share any information she may have regarding the matter voluntarily. “Since you appear to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, you may appear before the investigation officer at a place of your choice to provide any information which may be available with you regarding the same,” the notice had stated.
With no initial response, Gachibowli police confirmed plans to issue a follow-up notice. A senior official stated, “We did not get any response to the notice served to her earlier. We may issue another notice to the officer, seeking her appearance before the police officers at the place of her choice to share any information she has.”
However, following these developments, Ms. Sabharwal took to her X account and clarified her position. She posted: “Have fully cooperated with Gachibowli police authorities, and given my detailed statement today as a law-abiding citizen under BNSS Act. The post was reshared by 2,000 individuals on this platform. I sought clarification on whether same action is initiated for all! If not, this raises concern about selective targeting, that in turn compromises the principles of natural justice and equality before the Law.”
IAS Sabharwal’s Reply:
The case remains under investigation as officials continue to examine the online dissemination of potentially misleading content related to the disputed land.
