Bengaluru: Karnataka Director General of Police (Civil Rights Enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao was suspended by the state government on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered a probe into an allegedly inappropriate video involving the senior IPS officer that surfaced on social media.

The suspension comes amid mounting controversy over the video, which shows Rao in a compromising position with a woman.

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Authorities said the action was taken pending the outcome of a detailed inquiry. It remains unclear whether the video features one woman or multiple women, and officials have not yet verified its authenticity.

Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Siddaramaiah said he was informed about the video only on Monday. He noted that the clip appeared to be a compilation of three separate segments stitched together.

“No matter how senior the officer is, disciplinary action will be taken if there is any misconduct,” the chief minister said, underlining that no one is above the law.

Rao has categorically denied the allegations, calling the video “fabricated” and claiming he does not know its origin. He has maintained that the content is false and intended to malign him.

Rao is also known to be the father of actor Ranya Rao, who has been under investigation in a separate gold smuggling case—an issue that had already placed the senior officer under public scrutiny in recent months.

Who is K Ramachandra Rao?

Rao was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police in September 2023 and took charge as DGP (Civil Rights Enforcement) the following month. Prior to this, he served as Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

He has also held the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Southern Range. During that tenure, his name figured in a controversial money seizure case dating back to 2014.

In early 2014, Mysuru South Police intercepted a private bus travelling from Bengaluru to Kozhikode near Yelwal, allegedly seizing ₹20 lakh from four Kerala-based merchants. The traders later claimed that ₹2.27 crore had actually been taken and accused the police of colluding with a businessman to loot them.

While Rao denied any involvement in the alleged robbery, a senior officer later told the Bangalore Mirror that the CID had flagged serious lapses on the part of Rao and a deputy superintendent of police.

The CID reportedly noted that despite being alerted to the involvement of policemen—including a gunman attached to the IGP—appropriate action was not taken at the time.

The state government has said the current inquiry into the viral video will be conducted thoroughly, and further action will depend on its findings.