The Karnataka government on Monday suspended senior IPS officer and director general of police (DGP) of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement K Ramachandra Rao after a video clip, which purportedly showed him engaging in inappropriate behaviour with a woman while on duty at his office, surfaced on social media.
After the clip went viral, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had ordered the state home department to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the matter, following which, the top cop was suspended late on Monday.
Members of the opposition had demanded Rao’s immediate suspension and a thorough investigation into the matter. The government was also accused of protecting influential officers like Rao and not acting decisively in the interest of the party.
The senior police officer had earlier made headlines for his alleged involvement in a high-profile gold smuggling case, in which his step- daughter Ranya Rao was convicted in July 2025.
After a probe was initiated into allegations of official protocol being flouted in that case, he was sent on a compulsory leave on March 15, 2025. Later, he was reinstated and appointed to his current position.
Ramachandra Rao says video ‘manipulated’
K Ramachandra Rao on Monday denied the allegations and argued that the video was generated by artificial intelligence and that it was a conspiracy to destroy his reputation.
“This is a systematic conspiracy to tarnish my image and destroy my professional reputation. I have also seen the video today. It is completely manipulated and created using AI technology,” PTI reported quoting Rao as he said.
Rao further claimed that the video was fabricated from an old clip that was recorded eight years ago while he was stationed in Belagavi.
“I am shocked. It is all fabricated, lie. The video is all false. I have no idea about it,” he added.
After Rao failed to meet state home minister G Parameshwara, he claimed that the video was fabricated from a clip that was recorded eight years ago, when he was posted in Belagavi. “I am also thinking how and when it happened and who has done it. In this era anything can happen. I have no idea about it,” he said.
BJP slams Karnataka govt; CM says ‘no one above law’
Amid the controversy over Ramachandra Rao’s video, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla took a dig at the Congress government’s state of affairs on Tuesday, slamming the law and order in Karnataka.
“This is the state of affairs of law and order in Karnataka under Congress government. A DGP level police officer’s videos have surfaced in social media where he is exploiting, he is doing intimate acts with multiple women and that too inside public police office. This is the state of affairs,” Poonawalla said.
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah said on Monday, “No one is above the law, notwithstanding how senior the police officer is.” He made the remarks after being made aware that the video consisted a total of three clips stitched together.
The chief minister affirmed that disciplinary action would be taken if there is misconduct, no matter how senior the officer is. State minister women and children’s development Laxmi Hebbalkar backed the CM saying that action would be taken regardless of seniority, if the allegations were proven true.