Samal ruined my reputation: Ratna Prabha

Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer K Ratna Prabha took issue with former vigilance commissioner R C Samal for claiming to be a fighter against graft in government and making mention of his charges against her in his anti-graft report while in service in 2007.

'Mr Samal claims to be a tiger. If so, I am a bigger tigress,' said the officer, who is now locked in defamation litigation against her fellow steel framer. Samal had published a damning indictment of civil servants in AP in Sept 2007, just before his retirement.

Contesting Samal's claim, Ratna Prabha said, 'At the time when Mr Samal filed his (socalled) report on graft in government in 2007, I had served only two years in the government of Andhra Pradesh. What did he find in those two years?'

She added that for seven years prior to those two years, i.e, from July 1996 to 2003, 'I was on deputation to VSEZ under the Union Ministry of Commerce, and received excellent CRs and appreciation from my bosses.

I had worked under commerce secretaries like Tejinder Khanna and Prabir Sen Gupta and my immediate bosses were Nripendra Misra, V K Duggal, Alok Shrivastava and Vinay Bansal.

All of whom retired in better positions in the government of India than Mr Samal. My work in the VSEZ posting and later in the IT sector is there for all to see. Does Mr Samal have anything to show as his contribution to AP in his 30odd years of service?'

Ratna Prabha said, 'Without any documentary proof, Samal included my name in his report and released it to the media and ruined my otherwise clean reputation. He created doubts in the minds of the public about my integrity.'

She also dismissed the basis of the former vigilance commissioner's report. 'Anyone who thinks of Mr Samal as a hero must first read his report. He made scathing remarks about officers without any justification or substantiation.

A senior IAS officer cannot make fleeting remarks to the media about his own colleagues, or anyone for that matter, without valid reasons or proof.

And now he is giving interviews on how IAS officers should behave. First of all, does he know how to behave? Does he know the code of conduct?'

She also challenged Samal to face her in court in relation to her defamation proceedings in the Nampally criminal court. 'My challenge to Mr Samal is why has he gone and obtained a stay order after I gave my statement and witnesses also gave statements in my favour?

He should have given his version before the criminal court. Why did he approach a higher court for a stay? Was he afraid that he would be exposed?

Tell him to come out and say who was/is behind him.' She claimed to be 'a victim of unscrupulous games played by some vested groups who used his shoulder to fire at me.'

She said, 'Mr. Samal, Keep your hand on your heart and speak the truth. I'm like your daughter. If you have a conscience, admit the facts. You said you are a tiger. Behave like one.'