Karnataka obscene video row adds to Ramachandra Rao’s trail of controversies

The viral video scandal involving K Ramachandra Rao, DGP (Civil Rights Enforcement), has sent shockwaves across the state. Footage allegedly showing Rao behaving obscenely with women inside his office has sparked widespread outrage.

As the controversy deepens, older allegations against him have resurfaced in the public domain. Foremost among them is the case involving his stepdaughter, Sandalwood actor Ranya Rao. Just last year, she was caught at the airport while allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth about ₹12.56 crore from Dubai.

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At the time, it was alleged that Ramachandra Rao had misused his authority to provide “protocol facilities” to Ranya Rao at the airport to facilitate the smuggling. The government had sent him on compulsory leave then. Even before the heat over his daughter’s smuggling case could subside, the video scandal involving him has now erupted.

Govt orders Rao’s suspension

Following the viral videos, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an investigation. The state government has suspended Rao with immediate effect. Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara has also issued a stern warning that indiscipline would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Since Monday, several allegedly obscene videos and audio clips said to feature Rao have been circulating widely on social media. The spectacle of a senior officer reportedly behaving indecently inside his office while in uniform has caused embarrassment to both the police department and the government.

What is Rao’s defence?

Amid these developments, Rao has flatly denied all the allegations, calling them a conspiracy to malign him. He tried to meet Home Minister Parameshwara and told the media that the videos were fake and edited.

“These visuals have been twisted from footage recorded about eight years ago when I was posted in Belagavi. In today’s technological age, anything can be fabricated,” he said.

Rao’s earlier controversies

Rao’s career has long been mired in controversies. Not just the gold smuggling case involving Ranya, he had also faced allegations in a 2014 cash seizure case near Ilavala in Mysuru involving ₹2.27 crore. At the time, his gunman was arrested. There were also suspicions about his role in the Chadachan encounter case.

Each time, he was accused of using influence to evade the law. Now, he finds himself in deep trouble again due to the obscene video case.

What was the Mysuru case?

In 2014, police stopped and searched a private bus near Ilavala in Mysuru that was headed to Kozhikode in Kerala. Police claimed they had seized ₹20 lakh. However, the Kerala traders transporting the cash alleged that the actual amount was ₹2.27 crore and that the police, in collusion with others, diverted a large part of the money elsewhere.

The CBI, which probed the matter, said there were serious lapses in how Rao handled the case. However, the case against him was later dropped after a CID probe found no evidence.

The Chadachan encounter

On October 29, 2017, rowdy-sheeter Dharmaraj Chadachan was killed in a police encounter. His brother Gangadhar Chadachan was allegedly handed over to the custody of Mahadev Bhairagond’s associates, rivals of the brothers. They were accused of hacking Gangadhar to death and throwing his body into a river.

Rao’s name had surfaced in this case as well. When the CID arrested PSI Gopal Hallur in connection with the case, Circle Inspector M Asode went absconding. In 2018, when Asode was taken into custody and questioned, he spoke about the role of police officers. At the time of the incident, Rao was the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the North Zone.

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It was alleged that he had transferred Gopal Hallur to the Chadachan police station at the recommendation of a local MLA. The CID questioned Rao in this regard.

“I transferred Hallur strictly as per the rules. He did not inform me about any plan to encounter Dharmaraj. Later, the SP called me and informed me about the operation. I then visited the spot and inspected it. There was no lapse on my part in this case,” Rao had said at the time.

Ramachandra Rao’s background

K Ramachandra Rao is a senior police officer with decades of experience. A 1993-batch IPS officer, he was promoted to the rank of DGP in September 2023.

After being sent on compulsory leave following the Ranya Rao case, he was reappointed in August 2025 as DGP of the Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate.

He has served in various important positions, including Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Additional DGP of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force, and IGP of the South Zone.

He was regarded as having considerable expertise, particularly in urban policing and infrastructure projects.

Opposition attacks govt

The case has now taken on a political dimension, with the Opposition BJP attacking the government. Former minister S Suresh Kumar and several other leaders said the conduct of senior officers had tarnished the image of the police department.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)