In this context, a questionable video of K. Ramachandra Rao (Director General of Police (Civil Rights Enforcement) of Karnataka Police Department) has been created. The media video that spread quickly on social media platforms claims to depict a uniformed officer behaving inappropriately with a woman in his formal room.
The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who is considering this carefully and conducting a top-level examination and has said that “no one is above the law.” Rao has called the video “fabricated and AI-morphed,” but this is not the first time the 1993-batch IPS officer sees himself in the middle of a storm.
The Ilavala Robbery Case 2014
Rao was found to have serious allegations dating back to 2014. As IGP of the Southern Range, he had been associated with a sensational robbery in Ilavala, Mysuru. A police team caught a Kerala-bound bus, reportedly carrying more than ₹2 crore in cash, although officials officially reported a seizure of only ₹20 lakh.
The CID investigation led to the arrest of Rao’s own gunman, although the officer at the time escaped charges against him. But a number of administrative “lapses” were recorded. This resulted in him being placed on a temporary transfer. Activists recently urged the CBI to reopen an investigation dating back over a decade on new evidence in light of suppression claims.
Consequences of the controversies in Belagavi and Kalaburagi (2017)
Rao's name became more and more prominent during the 2017 apprehension of gang-wielding individual Dharmaraja Chadachana and the subsequent gang shooting and murder of his brother Gangadhar while he was a man in charge of the Northern Range (Belagavi).
The case is said to have been a political powderpuff, with accusations that the police were acting as if they were simply following instructions from local politicians. CID probe established no direct involvement from Rao in what happened in the incident, however, his "fake encounter" allegations have dogged his career since then. Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Link (2025)
His career’s latest blow came in early 2025 when his stepdaughter, Kannada actress Ranya Rao was arrested by the DRI at Kempegowda International Airport. She was arrested for smuggling 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai. It emerged that DGP Ramachandra Rao had in an act of misuse of his position of official duty offered her "police escort" service to evade customs checks.
The reports forced the state government to place him on compulsory leave in March 2025. Only in August 2025 did he receive reinstated status and then be posted to Civil Rights Enforcement (CRE) wing, after a committee report did not directly show he was coordinating protocol assistance.
It’s a New “Office Video” Call
The latest viral video, which various political and social commentary is saying is the big last straw. The video depicts the officer, in his uniform, as some national icons play up in the background, behaving in a way critics say a “disgrace to the uniform.”
DGP Rao’s Defense:
"I am shocked. It has actually, completely, fake video itself. Now, everything is plastic in this information age. I will consult law experts and I will bring a complaint against anyone who puts my reputation at risk here,” Rao told journalists. But even though he has met them at home flat down, pressure is mounting on the Indian Home Department to punish. The scandal would be a sombre period in Rao’s long, controversial career with the Indian Police Service with Rao retiring in July 2026.
