Sleaze videos involving suspended Karnataka DGP Ramachandra Rao not doctored; panel confirms clips shot in 2016-17 inside IGP’s office | Bengaluru News

A special probe committee has ruled out AI generation for sleaze videos allegedly involving suspended Karnataka DGP Ramachandra Rao

BENGALURU: The investigation into sleaze videos purportedly involving suspended Karnataka DGP Ramachandra Rao has taken a fresh turn, with a special probe committee ruling out claims that the clips were AI-generated.These videos are neither deepfakes nor edited versions, the panel said in its report to the state govt. Following this, the department of personnel and administrative reforms issued a notice to Rao Wednesday, paving the way for a departmental inquiry against him. The videos featured an officer in police uniform engaging in indecent physical acts with two women. Sleaze videos shot in 2016-17 inside IGP’s officeThe videos were reportedly shot in 2016-17 inside the office of the inspector general of police (Belagavi range). While a section of the media pointed fingers at Rao as he had served as IGP (Belagavi range) earlier, the latter denied the allegations, claiming the videos were fabricated.As the issue threatened to snowball into a political controversy, chief minister Siddaramaiah suspended Rao, ordered a probe and formed a committee comprising IPS officials — headed by additional director general of police R Hitendra, with Chetan Singh Rathore, Rishyanth CB and Kala Krishnaswamy as its other members.Sources said the team submitted a 100-page report to the govt, confirming that the video clips were genuine. The report contains inputs from the forensic sciences laboratory (FSL), which confirmed that the videos had not been tampered with.“The team recorded statements from orderlies, drivers, staffers and other junior officers who had worked with Rao during his tenure as IGP-Belagavi. They all identified the two women in the video clips and said they paid repeated visits to Rao’s chamber,” sources told TOI, adding that the women had since gone incommunicado.“However, they will have to appear before the committee and give their statements. One of them made a video on her mobile phone. It was intentional,” sources further said. Ramachandra Rao (in pic), who came under scanner after his daughter Ranya Rao was caught smuggling gold from Dubai, is scheduled to retire on May 31. “If the inquiry continues till then, his post-retirement benefits will be withheld,” sources added.