Overview
- The Karnataka government placed the DCRE chief under suspension with immediate effect under All India Services disciplinary provisions, pending a formal inquiry.
- The suspension order says the conduct seen in the clips appears obscene and unbecoming of a government servant, and restricts Rao from leaving headquarters while on subsistence allowance.
- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought a report from the Home Department and said disciplinary action will follow the investigation, stressing that no officer is above the law.
- Rao rejected the allegations, calling the footage fabricated and AI-manipulated, saying it could date back to his Belagavi posting about eight years ago and indicating legal action.
- Media reports describe stitched clips with blurred faces and added audio circulating on social media, while civil society complaints and unverified audio snippets heightened calls for a transparent probe, set against prior scrutiny tied to his stepdaughter’s gold smuggling case.