The Karnataka police force is currently a victim of the popular media outrage after a video purportedly made by senior IPS officer DGP Ramachandra Rao was sent viral. He said that, on Monday, 19 January 2026, he spoke out again and spoke to various media on the grounds of strongly contradicting the claims, calling the video a technologically fiddled "conspiracy."
Defiant Reputation Violation in the Face of Scandal
After a video featuring an officer in uniform in a compromising scene with women circulated widely, the DGP Ramachandra Rao took to the press to clear his name. The policeman claimed that the footage is false and engineered to discredit him professionally, claiming he's in the wrong. I have viewed this video for myself today. It is all created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) or very advanced editing,” Rao said to reporters. “We do have ‘vested interests’ systematically trying to ruin his livelihood and reputation with this ‘character assassination’ plot,” he added.
Stumped by Media Questions
However, the media response to his denial became more turbulent when reporters from Suvarna News put pointed questions. Posed questions like whether the man in the video was him and what was causing the background to look the same way as his regular chamber, the officer seemed visibly rattled.
The IGP was surprised by the repeated questions he was faced with about his behaviour while wearing his uniform, and could no longer provide coherent answers. His failure to counter specific observations about the video’s setting resulted in him abruptly leaving the press briefing, a move that has only heightened public and departmental suspicion.
The Debate Over the Truth
AI versus Reality. Although the officer defends his “Deepfake” defense, observers noted physical nuances, special uniform badges, and the style of furniture in the video that appears not too different from his real office. And that has ignited an intense discussion of the misuse of technology. If the video is a deepfake created by AI, it’s an ominous new frontier in cyberwarfare against public officials. But if it is proven genuine, it is one of the more serious moral and disciplinary collapses in the history of the Karnataka State Police.
FSL Investigation & Government Response
The Karnataka government has been iron-fisted about the incident. At the same time, the Home Department is expected to hand over the footage to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for a frame-by-frame technical analysis in view of the gravity of the allegations against an officer operating in uniform.
It is reported that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has requested a preliminary report of the matter. If the FSL confirms the video is original, the officer faces immediate suspension and departmental investigation. Then again, if the AI claim is true, the police will probably embark on a massive manhunt for the Internet-savvy crooks behind the make-believe.
