Karnataka Women’s Commission seeks action against senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka State Commission for Women has sought immediate action against the Director General of Police (Civil Rights Enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao after alleged audio and video clips showing him engaging in obscene acts while in uniform inside his official chamber went viral.
The commission has called for a transparent inquiry, suspension from service and strict action under a zero-tolerance policy.
In the letters to the Karnataka Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police on Monday night, the commission said it had taken serious note of visuals aired by television channels that purportedly showed Rao engaging in indecent behaviour with women while in uniform inside his office.
“The State Commission for Women has taken a very serious note of the visuals telecast on state news channels showing an IPS officer… indulging in obscene behaviour and acting in a manner amounting to sexual assault against women inside his office, while he was in uniform,” the letter said.
According to the Commission, such conduct by a senior police officer, who is expected to ensure the safety of women, sends a wrong message to society and creates a negative sentiment among women in the state.
The incident also attracts provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Seeking swift action, the commission requested that a transparent inquiry be ordered immediately, the officer be placed under suspension, and a report on the action taken be submitted within seven days.
It also urged the authorities to initiate strict action to uphold the dignity and honour of women by following a zero-tolerance approach.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his government has initiated disciplinary action against Rao and placed him under suspension.
"Inquiry will also be conducted," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka government placed Rao under suspension with immediate effect, citing the "conduct unbecoming of a government servant and causing embarrassment to the state administration".
In response, Rao has rejected the videos and labelled them as "fabricated and false".
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Will not bow to ICC pressure on T20 WC participation: Bangladesh government advisor
Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh government's sports advisor Asif Nazrul on Tuesday reiterated that under no condition would the national team travel to India for the T20 World Cup, despite an ultimatum from the International Cricket Council to the Bangladesh Cricket Board on deciding their participation by January 21.
If BCB remains adamant on not travelling to India for the 20-team tournament, Scotland are likely to replace Bangladesh as per current rankings.
"I am not aware that Scotland will be included in our place. If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose pressure on us by setting unreasonable conditions, we will not accept those conditions," Nazrul told reporters.
"In the past, there are examples that Pakistan said that they will not travel to India and ICC changed the venue. We have asked to change the venue on logical ground and we cannot be pressurised to play in India by putting illogical pressure," he added.
The crisis was triggered by the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders' roster for this year's Indian Premier League on BCCI's instructions for unspecified "developments all around".
Citing security concerns and national pride, the BCB responded by announcing its national team won't travel to India for its group stage games in Kolkata and Mumbai.
BCB wants to play each of the four group stage matches in Sri Lanka, where the marquee India-Pakistan clash will also be held as per the mutually agreed arrangement for ICC events until 2027.
Bangladesh are currently placed in Group C along with the West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal.
In their last meeting with ICC officials in Dhaka, the BCB had proposed swapping positions with Ireland in Group B, which features tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Oman and Zimbabwe.
Such a move would allow Bangladesh to remain in Sri Lanka for entirety of its group stage engagements.
While the BCB considers it unsafe for its players to travel to India, the ICC's risk assessment report did not flag any specific or direct threat to the team's participation in the World Cup.
Th bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated in recent months, exacerbated by the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal and current Test skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto have cautioned against a very hard-line approach on the controversial subject, with the former saying that decisions taken today would have repercussions 10 years down the line.
