Telangana IPS officers condemn ‘character assassination’ of women bureaucrats by media

The Telangana IPS Officers’ Association expressed unequivocal solidarity with the IAS Officers’ Association and condemned what it termed as “irresponsible, malicious and defamatory” broadcasts by certain media platforms targeting serving women IAS officers.

In a statement issued on Saturday (January 10, 2026), the IPS Association said baseless allegations and insinuations aired against women officers amounted to a deliberate attempt at character assassination under the garb of journalism, driven solely by sensationalism and vilification. It described the episode on a couple of news channels as deeply regressive and reflective of a misogynistic mindset that undermines the dignity of public service.

The Association asserted that women officers across services were discharging their duties with integrity, courage and professionalism, often under demanding circumstances. Targeting them through unverified claims, fabricated narratives, selective distortion of administrative processes and insinuations regarding postings or personal conduct was termed as grossly unethical.

“These actions erode institutional morale, weaken democratic institutions and damage public confidence in governance,” the statement said, adding that such reporting strikes at the foundations of constitutional governance and the rule of law.

The IPS Officers’ Association categorically stated that the allegations aired were false, malicious and devoid of any factual basis. It further said the broadcasts amounted to a serious violation of privacy, dignity and professional reputation of serving officers and constituted an impermissible “trial by media.”

The IPS body demanded an immediate and unconditional public apology from the concerned media houses and the withdrawal of defamatory content from all platforms, including digital and social media. It also called upon media organisations to strictly adhere to established norms of journalistic ethics and responsibility.

The statement was issued by the Association President and Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy, and other office bearers incuding G. Sudheer Babu, Vikram Singh Mann, Tafseer Iqubal, D. Joel Davis, among others.