Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Karnataka DGP (civil rights enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao came under scrutiny on Monday after a video allegedly showing him in a compromising position with women went viral on social media. Rao rejected the videos outright, calling them “fabricated and false.”Chief minister Siddaramaiah warned of strict action if the official is found guilty and said the matter will be investigated.
“I got to know about it in the morning. We will initiate disciplinary action against him. No one is above law, notwithstanding how senior the police officer is,” said Siddaramaiah.Rao attempted to clarify his position by seeking a meeting with home minister G Parameshwara, but the meeting did not take place. Speaking to reporters outside the minister’s house, he said, “I am also thinking how and when it happened and who has done it. In this era anything can happen. I have no idea about it.”When asked whether the video was old, he said, “Old means, eight years ago when I was in Belagavi.” On his next steps, Rao said he would discuss the matter with his advocate. “I am shocked. It is all fabricated, lie. The video is all false. I have no idea about it,” he added. When questioned further, he said, “I will know only if it had happened. I don’t know about it,” and that he would explain to the Home Minister that false information is being spread.Rao is the stepfather of Harshavardhini Ranya, also known as Ranya Rao, who is currently lodged in Bengaluru Central Jail after being arrested in a sensational gold smuggling case.Karnataka minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said the government will act if wrongdoing is found. “Being the Woman and Child Development Minister I can tell you that we will take action mercilessly, irrespective of the seniority he holds,” she told reporters.Senior BJP MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar criticised Rao’s actions, calling them “an inexcusable crime.” “Rao has committed an act that has brought a blot on the entire police department. The act committed by this senior officer, in uniform and within his own office, has made people view the police department itself with suspicion and doubt,” Kumar said.Social activist Dinesh Kallahalli demanded Rao’s suspension.
