Karnataka DGP (Civil Rights Enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao has been suspended with immediate effect as per the state government’s order issued on Monday, January 19. The order cited conduct unbecoming of a government official and bringing disgrace to the administration.
Rao was suspended after an alleged video showed him in a compromising position with women. The video went viral on social media. Rao rejected the videos outright, calling them “fabricated and fake”.
Who is K Ramachandra Rao?
K Ramachandra Rao was the DGP officer and headed the Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate. He was promoted to DGP in September 2023 and assumed office in October 2023, the Sunday Guardian reported.
Rao also served as Chairman and Managing Director of Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
His tenure as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Southern Range was also marred by controversy. In 2014, during a cash seizure near Mysuru’s Yelwal, while officials claimed that the seized amount was ₹20 lakh, the accused (merchants based in Kerala) claimed that it was around ₹2.27 million.
One of the officers present during the seizure was Ramachandra Rao, who denied all the allegations. However, he was transferred soon after.
Allegations of collusion with a businessman emerged, with The Sunday Guardian quoting a senior police officer as saying: “In the Rao case, the CID clearly stated that there was a high degree of misconduct on the part of Rao and the Deputy Superintendent of Police after they were alerted that several policemen, including a gunman attached to the IGP, were involved in the robbery.”
Rao has denied any wrongdoing in the incident. Despite past controversies, he rose to the top police post in the state, the Sunday Guardian reported.
Ramachandra Rao’s stepdaughter Ranya’s gold smuggling case
Ramachandra Rao is the stepfather of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya aka Ranya Rao, who is accused of organizing the illegal import of gold worth over ₹12.56 crore from Dubai to India along with two others — businessman Tarun Raju and jeweler Sahil Jain.
The “obscene video” controversy.
A viral video showed Rao in uniform misbehaving with a woman in his office. The Mint could not verify the authenticity of the viral footage.
In its order, the Karnataka government said that ‘videos and reports widely broadcast on public news channels and media platforms, it was found that Dr. K. Ramachandra Rao acted in an obscene manner unbecoming a Government servant and also bringing shame to the Government.’
The order further stated that the matter was investigated by the state government, which found that the officer’s conduct constituted a violation of Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.
The government said it was prima facie satisfied that “it is necessary to suspend Rao with immediate effect, pending enquiry”.
During the period of suspension, Rao will be entitled to subsistence allowance under Rule 4 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.
The order also restricts his movement and states that during the period of suspension, the officer should not leave the headquarters under any circumstances without the written permission of the state government.
