The Karnataka government on Tuesday placed senior IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, Director General of Police (DGP) of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement
(DCRE), under immediate suspension after videos allegedly showing him behaving inappropriately with a woman inside his office went viral. In a detailed order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the state cited the widespread circulation of the clips across news channels and social media platforms. The government noted that the visuals had caused “serious embarrassment” to the administration. The suspension order stated, “WHEREAS, vide videos and news reports widely broadcast on public news channels and media platforms, it is observed that Dr K Ramachandra Rao, Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, has acted in an obscene manner which is unbecoming of a Government Servant and also causing embarrassment to the Government.”
The government said it was prima facie satisfied that Rao’s conduct violated Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, which lays down standards of integrity and behaviour for officers.
A Familiar Name in Fresh Controversy
This is not the first time Rao has found himself under scrutiny. He was earlier accused of helping his stepdaughter, actor Ranya Rao, in a gold smuggling case, following which he was sent on compulsory leave. That order was later revoked, and he was transferred as DGP of the DCRE.
The latest controversy erupted after a video, reportedly stitched together from three separate clips, surfaced online on January 19, 2026. The footage allegedly shows the 1993-batch IPS office hugging and kissing a woman while in uniform inside his office.
Also Read | Ranya Rao's Jewellery Trail Leads To 'Prominent Politician'? Probe Deepens
The women, who visited the office on separate occasions wearing different outfits, are seen in close interactions with Rao while official tasks were being carried out.
After the video went viral, Rao met Home Minister G Parameshwara to explain his side. Speaking to reporters later, Rao claimed the video was eight years old, recorded when he was posted in Belagavi, and described it as a conspiracy to tarnish his image.
"I was there in Belagavi 8 years ago, I’ll speak to the advocate and take action, it’s shocking to me, it’s all fabricated and false, I have no idea about it. I don’t know when it was fabricated, an investigation has to be done about who’s spreading such a false thing," Rao said.
