Karnataka Reinstates IPS Officer K Ramachandra Rao as Civil Rights Enforcement DGP Months After Stepdaughter’s Gold Smuggling Arrest

The Karnataka government has reinstated senior IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, appointing him as the Director General of Police (DGP) for the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement. The move comes months after he was sent on compulsory leave following the arrest of his stepdaughter, actress Ranya Rao, in a gold smuggling case.

In a government notification cited by news agency PTI, the state withdrew the compulsory leave order imposed on Rao in March. “The order of compulsory leave with respect to Dr K Ramachandra Rao, IPS (KN 1993) is hereby withdrawn and the officer is posted with immediate effect and until further orders as Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement in the upgraded vacant post,” the order stated.

The post is declared equivalent in status and responsibilities to the cadre post of DGP, Criminal Investigation Department, Special Units and Economic Offences, Bengaluru, under Rule 12 of the IPS (Pay) Rules 2016.

Before his reinstatement, Rao served as Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

Ranya Rao gold smuggling case

Ranya Rao (34) was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport after arriving from Dubai. Authorities seized gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from her possession.

The following day, the DRI recovered gold jewellery valued at ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 crore from her Bengaluru residence. She was accused of misusing police escorts, allegedly to bypass Customs checks at the airport.