Suspended over sleaze video, Karnataka IPS officer Ramachandra Rao reinstated 3 weeks before retirement

The Karnataka government on Wednesday revoked the suspension of senior IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, three weeks before his retirement. The DGP-rank officer was suspended in January after a video purportedly capturing him in a compromising position with women inside his office surfaced on social media.

On Wednesday evening, the government issued the order revoking the suspension of the IPS officer. “The Government of Karnataka, in exercise of the powers conferred under Rule-3(7)(c) of AIS (D&A) Rules. 1969, hereby revokes the order of suspension and reinstates Dr. K Ramachandra Rao. IPS (KN: 1993) into service with immediate effect and the officer is posted with immediate effect and until further orders as Director General of Police (Police Manual). Now, the Government has decided to revoke the suspension of the officer and reinstate him to service,” the order read.

Rao will be retiring from the service on May 30 this year. He was suspended in January this year when he posted as DGP of Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) following the video made rounds on social media. The video allegedly showed Rao engaging in inappropriate physical contact with a woman when he was Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Northern Range in 2017.

The disciplinary action against Rao was initiated on March 18 under rules of All India Service (discipline and appeal).

Earlier in 2025, Rao courted controversy when his stepdaughter, Kannada actor Ranya Rao, was arrested in a gold-smuggling case. The 1993-batch IPS officer was sent on compulsory leave over the allegations that he allowed Ranya to bypass security checks at the airport. In August, he was recalled and posted as DGP.