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

K. Ramachandra Rao, a 1993 batch IPS officer, had been serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation at the time he was sent on compulsory leave. The government had not initially disclosed a specific reason for the compulsory leave.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Ranya Rao on March 3, 2025. She was allegedly caught with 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru. Ranya was booked under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act and has been lodged in the central prison at Parappana Agrahara.

During the inquiry, it was revealed that Ranya had allegedly been misusing police escorts to evade customs checks and exit through the airport. Following his stepdaughter's arrest, Ramachandra Rao was questioned by a State government-appointed inquiry committee, led by Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, to investigate his potential involvement in the case. He was also questioned by the Directorate and DRI.

The reinstatement of K. Ramachandra Rao comes nearly five months after he was sent on compulsory leave.