HYDERABAD: IAS officer and additional secretary to the Telangana Chief Minister, Smita Sabharwal, is likely to file a criminal case against weekly news magazine, Outlook, for publishing an ‘indecent’ snippet and a cartoon on her.
Smita Sabharwal, who is awaiting a reply from the magazine to her legal notice, told Express, “I am waiting for a reply from Outlook. If the reply is not satisfactory, I will file a criminal case.”
The IAS officer termed the ‘regret’ expressed by Outlook on its website unacceptable. “I will take no note of the regret expressed by the magazine through its website. I never misused my official position. As an officer, I can file criminal cases immediately on the magazine. But, I sent a legal notice and gave an opportunity to the magazine,” Smita Sabharwal said.
The snippet in question, titled ‘No Boring Babu’, published in the magazine’s Deep Throat column claims the bureaucrat serves as an eye candy at every meeting. A cartoon published alongside shows the officer walking on a ramp in front of a caricature of the Chief Minister holding a camera.
Outlook has clarified that the piece was part of satire carried in the magazine in the usual course and was not intended to be derisive or derogatory. The magazine has since withdrawn the snippet and the cartoon and expressed ‘regret if any offence has been taken.”
Outlook’s editor-in-chief wrote a letter to DGP Anurag Sharma on Thursday, complaining that their correspondent in Hyderabad had been subjected to vile and personal attacks on social media ever since the satirical snippet was published in the July 6 edition of the magazine. “We have been receiving a number of emails, anonymous SMSes and tweets threatening the physical safety of Ms Madhavi Tata, who is Outlook magazine’s correspondent based in Hyderabad. She has also been subjected to sexist abuse. These threats have come following reports in newspapers, TV stations and websites of a legal notice purportedly sent by a senior bureaucrat attached to the Telangana government to Outlook, in response to a satirical snippet,” he said and requested the DGP to look into the matter and take every step necessary to ensure the safety of the reporter.
The copies of the letter were also sent to Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the Press Council of India chairman and the chairperson of the National Women’s Commission.
A couple of days ago, some women IAS and IPS officers had called on Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and requested him to take action against the magazine and the correspondent.