Bengaluru: Karnataka Director General of Police (Civil Rights Enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao has been suspended with immediate effect after multiple videos allegedly showing him in a compromising position with women surfaced on social media. The state government issued the suspension order on Monday, citing conduct “unbecoming of a government servant” and stating that the clips caused embarrassment to the administration.
According to the official order, the government is prima facie satisfied that Rao’s actions violate service rules, warranting suspension pending a detailed inquiry. During the suspension period, the senior IPS officer has been barred from leaving the headquarters without prior written permission from the state government.
The videos, which remain unverified, purportedly show Rao with women inside what appears to be his office. Along with the visuals, audio clips have also gone viral in which he is allegedly heard speaking in an inappropriate manner. The controversy triggered swift political reactions and renewed scrutiny of the senior officer’s past.
Rao, however, has strongly denied all allegations, calling the videos “fabricated and false.” Speaking to reporters, he said he was shocked by the development and claimed to have no knowledge of how or when such videos were created. He also suggested that in the current digital age, such fabrications are possible. Rao attempted to meet Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara after the clips went viral, but the meeting did not take place.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said disciplinary action would follow if the allegations are proven. “No one is above the law, irrespective of how senior the officer is,” he stated. BJP leader and former minister S Suresh Kumar termed the episode a “disgraceful act” that has brought disrepute to the police force.
K Ramachandra Rao, a 1993-batch IPS officer, has faced controversy in the past as well. He was earlier accused of helping his stepdaughter, actor Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case last year. Although he was sent on compulsory leave at the time, he was later reinstated after an inquiry and appointed DGP of the Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate in August.
