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K Ramachandra Rao, a elder Karnataka constabulary serviceman and Director General of Police (DGP) of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), is embroiled successful contention aft a video surfaced connected Monday (January 19, 2026), purportedly showing him behaving inappropriately with women wrong his bureau portion successful uniform.
A video comprising 3 abstracted clips that person been stitched unneurotic has been wide circulating connected societal media.
Ties to golden smuggling case
The DGP-rank serviceman was serving arsenic the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd., when his stepdaughter Ranya Rao was arrested successful transportation with a golden smuggling case.
Mr. Rao's sanction besides figured successful the probe for perchance helping Ms. Ranya misuse protocol privileges astatine Kempegowda International Airport to transportation retired smuggling activities.
He was initially sent connected compulsory leave adjacent arsenic the State Government appointed elder IAS serviceman Gaurav Gupta to analyse the protocol violations. Subsequently, his compulsory permission bid was revoked, and Mr. Rao was transferred arsenic DGP of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE).
Ramachandra Rao reacts
Following the viral video, Mr. Rao met Home Minister G. Parameshwara and briefed him astir the issue. Later, speaking to the presspersons, Mr. Rao termed the incidental a conspiracy to tarnish his image. Speaking to reporters extracurricular the minister’s house, helium said, “I americium besides reasoning however and erstwhile it happened and who has done it. In this era, thing tin happen. I person nary thought astir it.” When reporters said that this is an aged video, helium said, “Old means, 8 years agone erstwhile I was successful Belagavi.” Asked astir his adjacent people of action, helium said helium would sermon with his advocator astir it.
DGP K. Ramachandra Rao backmost successful contention aft video of inappropriate behaviour surfaces
“I americium shocked. It is each fabricated, lie. The video is each false. I person nary thought astir it,” Mr. Rao said.
When reporters asked however this happened, helium said, “I volition cognize lone if it had happened. I don’t cognize astir it.” He added that helium volition explicate to the Home Minister that mendacious accusation is being spread.
The consequent suspension
Merely hours aft the video went viral, the Karnataka authorities has placed Mr. Rao nether suspension with contiguous effect, pending inquiry, citing behaviour unbecoming of a authorities servant and causing embarrassment to the authorities administration.
An bid issued precocious connected Monday (January 19, 2026) said that Mr. Rao acted successful an obscene manner, which is unbecoming of a authorities servant and besides caused embarrassment to the Government. The bid further said the substance was examined by the authorities government, which recovered that the officer’s behaviour amounted to a usurpation of Rule-3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.
Political reactions
Former Minister and BJP person S. Suresh Kumar stated that Mr. Rao has brought disrespect to the police, which raises suspicions astir the section itself. “In the past, the authorities had washed its hands of [gold smuggling case] by sending him connected compulsory permission for misusing his presumption then,” helium said.
Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said the authorities would ne'er tolerate immoderate insult oregon injustice to women.
(With PTI inputs)
