Bengaluru: A fresh controversy involving Director General of Police at the Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate Ramachandra Rao erupted after a purported video allegdly showing the 1993-batch IPS officer in an intimte situation with women surfaced online. In the video, which was shot in Rao's office, the 1993-batch IPS officer was seen with women while wearing the uniform.
The senior IPS officer is the stepfather of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who arrested in the gold smuggling case in March last year.
The clip was recorded secretly inside the senior cop's office. In the video, Rao could be seen hugging and kissing women. However, it is not clear whether the women seen in the purported clip were different as their faces were blurred.
The clip has sparked widespread outrage. The matter has also reached Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office. However, the authenticity of the video is yet to be confirmed. No official statement from the Karnataka government has been released yet over the matter.
Viral Video Allegedly Showing Ramachandra Roa WIth Women In His Office (Sensitive Content):
Cop Denies Allegations:
Denying the allegations, Rao dismissed the video as morphed. The senior IPS officer told India Today that he was being deliberately targeted.
Notably, in August last year, the state government withdrew the compulsory leave imposed on him following the arrest of his stepdaughter and actress Ranya Rao in connection with a gold smuggling case. He was appointed as the DGP for the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement.
Prior to assuming the role of the DGP for the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, he served as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation.
Rao was sent on compulsory leave in March after his stepdaughter was arrested in the gold smuggling case. Notably, Ranya Rao (34) was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 upon her arrival at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai, and gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized from her.
The DRI claimed to have seized gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and cash amounting to Rs 2.67 crore from her residence in Bengaluru the next day after her arrest. The actor was also accused of misusing police escorts, provided to her in violation of rules, allegedly to evade Customs checks and checkout at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
The Karnataka government had formed a committee to probe the role of Ramachandra Rao, if any, in the alleged gold smuggling activity of his stepdaughter. He had appeared before the Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta-led committee for questioning.
