A Bengaluru sessions court on Tuesday directed more than 30 media organisations to remove allegedly defamatory content about Karnataka police officer K Ramachandra Rao, who was suspended a day earlier after videos purportedly showing him engaging in inappropriate acts with women in his office began circulating online, Live Law reported.
The videos purportedly showed the director general of police (civil rights enforcement) hugging and kissing women while in uniform during office hours.
In its order on Tuesday, the court, by way of an ex parte temporary injunction, restrained the media organisations from “making, publishing, telecasting, broadcasting or circulating any news, defamatory comments, statements or allegations or call recordings against [Rao] in print media, electronic media, television channels, websites” and social media platforms till next date of hearing, Live Law reported.
An ex parte injunction is an interim order issued without hearing the other side.
The court also directed all media entities, including TV9 Karnataka, India Today Group, The Hindu and The Times of India, to “remove and take down all such defamatory videos, audio clips, call recordings, visuals, newspaper reports that are available in websites, digital platforms and official social media handles forthwith” pertaining to the suspended officer, the legal news outlet reported.
The matter is listed for hearing on February 27.
Rao was suspended on Monday. In the suspension order, Karnataka government Under Secretary KV Ashoka said that Rao acted “in an obscene manner unbecoming of a public servant, causing embarrassment to the government”.
The order stated that the government was convinced he had acted in violation of service rules, necessitating his suspension while an inquiry was underway.
Following the controversy, Rao claimed that the video was manipulated and dated back eight years, when he was posted in Belagavi.
He said that he would speak to legal experts before taking further action on the matter.
The officer had been mired in controversy last year as well, when his stepdaughter, Kannada actor Ranya Rao, was arrested on allegations of smuggling gold.
The police official was sent on compulsory leave after he was accused of helping Ranya Rao evade security checks at the Bengaluru airport.
He was recalled and posted as the director general of police (civil rights enforcement) in August.
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