Karnataka DGP Sleaze Case: SCW Flags Possible Misconduct With Colleagues
Karnataka DGP Sleaze Case: SCW flags concerns about possible misconduct involving working colleagues as investigations into viral videos continue.
Karnataka DGP Sleaze Case: Working Colleagues Affected?
The Karnataka State Commission for Women’s Chairperson, Dr. Nagalakshmi Choudhary, has indicated to The Probe that there are concerns beyond the already publicised viral clips allegedly involving the suspended Karnataka DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, raising questions about his conduct with 'working colleagues'.
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“We also have heard that in the same way he has also misbehaved with working colleagues. We are taking these issues very seriously. Only a complete investigation can bring out the truth,” she said. Her remarks suggest that the scope of enquiries mandated by the women’s commission may extend beyond the initial complaints publicly reported.
When asked about the number of complaints relating to such alleged incidents of harassment of working colleagues that the Commission has received, Dr. Choudhary told The Probe that the Commission has not yet received any formal complaints on the matter.
The controversy centres on Karnataka DGP (Civil Rights Enforcement) K. Ramachandra Rao, who was suspended from his post late on Monday after multiple unverified video clips purportedly showing him in inappropriate situations with women inside his official chambers surfaced and circulated widely on social media and digital platforms.
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The state government ordered a formal inquiry, highlighting that the source and authenticity of the material remain subject to verification as part of the official process. The government noted the conduct of the Karnataka DGP, as represented in the clips, appeared to contravene established service rules and dignity standards for public officials.
Dr. Choudhary told The Probe that shortly after she wrote to the Chief Secretary concerning the viral clips, Rao’s suspension was effected by the Chief Minister. “Now the investigations are underway and we are waiting for the report. I am hoping to receive a reply within 7 days,” she said.
Meanwhile, the suspended Karnataka DGP has consistently denied the allegations, characterising the videos as fabricated, false and aimed at maligning and scuttling his career. He told reporters that the footage could date back to his posting in Belagavi nearly eight years ago, while in the same breath also asserting that it is all fabricated and the video is false. The inconsistency between asserting the footage is both old and entirely false has drawn scrutiny from commentators noting weakness in his public defence.
The Probe has reviewed multiple video clips and associated audio recordings that purportedly shows interactions between the now suspended Karnataka DGP with more than one woman. The significance of this issue extends beyond the immediate conduct of Rao. If the clips are authentic and any part of them unaltered or unmanipulated, the situation raises fundamental questions about the conduct of a senior officer in uniform within a government workplace.
While some argue that the interactions shown in the videos appear to be consensual, questions remain about the possible abuse of positional authority, the exploitation of hierarchical power dynamics, and whether other women in subordinate or vulnerable positions may have been affected. In this context, the statement of the State Women’s Commission Chairperson assumes particular significance and warrants a thorough examination of the use of official premises across Ramachandra Rao’s tenure as Karnataka DGP as well as during his earlier postings in the police service.
