Kancha Gachibowli: 2k people shared it — Are they being questioned too? asks Smita Sabharwal

Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal, Secretary of Youth Advancement, Tourism, and Culture, Government of Telangana, has responded to the notice issued to her by Gachibowli police over a repost related to the Kancha Gachibowli issue.

In a statement shared on her official handle on X (formerly Twitter), Smita Sabharwal confirmed that she has fully cooperated with the Gachibowli police and submitted a detailed statement as a law-abiding citizen under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Act.

Referring to the action taken against her for resharing a post, she questioned whether the same legal steps were initiated against the nearly 2,000 others who also shared the post.

"If not, this raises concern about selective targeting, which compromises the principles of natural justice and equality before the law," she wrote, using the hashtags #RuleofLaw, #FreedomOfSpeech, and #justsaying.

Smita Sabharwal, a 2001 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from the Telangana cadre, is known for her citizen-centric approach. She is also the first woman IAS officer appointed to the Chief Minister’s Office in Telangana.

Before her current role, she served as Member Secretary of the Telangana State Finance Commission from January to November 2024. She took charge as Secretary of Youth Advancement, Tourism, and Culture on November 11, 2024.

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 2000 individuals on this platform.
I sought clarification on whether same action is initiated for all!

If not,…

— Smita Sabharwal (@SmitaSabharwal) April 19, 2025