Rao, who was serving as Director General of Police (DGP), Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, had been placed under suspension on January 19, 2026, pending disciplinary proceedings, following a set of videos that emerged on social media that purportedly showed him in compromising positions with multiple women in his office. The disciplinary proceedings were formally initiated on March 18, 2026.

Earlier in 2025, he was sent on mandatory leave after his stepdaughter, Ranya Rao, was allegedly caught smuggling gold at Kempegowda International Airport, and allegations surfaced that she had done so, misusing police protocol of Rao. He was cleared of those charges in an inquiry.