Senior police officer K Ramachandra Rao was placed under suspension by the Karnataka government after allegations surfaced linking him to explicit videos circulating on social media platforms, triggering a political storm and raising questions about institutional accountability within the state’s police leadership.The suspension order, issued late on Monday, said the action was taken in the interest of maintaining public confidence in the force while an inquiry is conducted into the allegations. Rao, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was serving as the Director General of Police for the State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation at the time of the decision. The government cited provisions under service rules that allow suspension pending investigation in cases involving serious misconduct or actions that could bring disrepute to public office.
The controversy erupted after multiple video clips, alleged to show Rao in compromising situations, began circulating widely across messaging apps and social media networks. While the authenticity of the videos has not been officially established, their rapid spread prompted intense scrutiny from opposition parties, civil society groups, and within the police establishment itself. Senior officials said the decision to suspend Rao was taken swiftly to ensure that the inquiry could proceed without any perception of influence or interference.
State Home Minister G Parameshwara said the government would follow due process and allow the investigation to determine the facts. He stressed that no conclusions were being drawn at this stage and that Rao would be given an opportunity to present his defence. Officials indicated that a high-level probe, possibly involving a special investigation team and forensic examination of the digital material, would assess whether the videos were genuine, manipulated, or part of a malicious campaign.
Rao has denied the allegations, describing the videos as fabricated and part of an attempt to tarnish his reputation. In a brief statement released through his legal counsel, he said he would cooperate fully with investigators and seek to clear his name. People familiar with the matter said Rao had already moved to lodge a complaint alleging criminal conspiracy, forgery, and misuse of electronic media, arguing that the clips could be deepfakes or selectively edited content.
The episode has placed renewed focus on the vulnerabilities of public officials in the age of digital manipulation and viral content. Cybercrime experts noted that advances in artificial intelligence have made it easier to create realistic-looking deepfake videos, complicating efforts to quickly verify authenticity. At the same time, they cautioned that claims of fabrication must be tested rigorously through forensic analysis rather than assumed.
Within the police force, the suspension has sent ripples, with serving and retired officers expressing concern about reputational risks and the importance of transparent mechanisms to handle allegations against senior officials. Some officers privately said the government had little choice but to act decisively, given the scale of public attention and the potential damage to the credibility of the force if the matter appeared to be ignored.
Opposition leaders seized on the issue to question the state government’s oversight of senior officials. They demanded a time-bound probe and accountability at the highest levels, arguing that the incident reflected broader governance challenges. Ruling party leaders countered that swift suspension demonstrated institutional responsibility and that politicising an unproven allegation would undermine due process.
Legal experts pointed out that suspension is not a finding of guilt but an administrative measure to facilitate an impartial investigation. Under service jurisprudence, an officer under suspension continues to receive subsistence allowance and retains the right to challenge the action in court. Any disciplinary proceedings, they said, would depend on whether the inquiry establishes misconduct under applicable conduct rules or violations of law.