DRI and other agencies investing whether she was using her DGP stepfather’s influence to evade detection and is she part of a larger international smuggling syndicate
Was a Kannada actress Ranya Rao, caught by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAD) in Bengaluru on Monday evening while attempting to smuggle more than 14 kg of gold into the country from Dubai, using her DGP stepfather’s influence to evade detection and is she part of a larger international smuggling syndicate?
These are among various angles being investigated by various agencies as they interrogate the actress after securing her judicial remand till March 18.
The actress, who has starred in a few Kannada and Tamil films opposite popular male stars, was detained following a prior tipoff and later arrested after gold bars weighing more than 12 kg were found concealed on her clothing. She was also wearing heavy gold ornaments.
Subsequently, the DRI officials also reportedly raided her Bengaluru home in the posh locality of Lavelle Road and are understood to have recovered more gold and cash in crores.
Ranya had raised suspicions and was on DRI’s radar due to her frequent international travel. According to news reports quoting unidentified officials she had flown to Dubai over 30 times in the past year, four times in the past 15 days alone.
Advertisement
Her DGP rank stepfather Ramachandra Rao, who is currently heading the Karnataka State Housing Corporation, distanced himself from his stepdaughter saying that he was as shocked as anyone else to hear about her arrest. He claimed that she was living with her husband ever since she got married a few months ago, and he was not aware of their dealings.
Media reports quoting sources also revealed that Ranya allegedly misused protocol privileges typically reserved for bureaucrats by leveraging her stepfather’s name and evaded customs scrutiny. A protocol officer would escort her out of the airport, ensuring she avoided physical frisking, while a government vehicle picked her up, preventing any road checks, the reports added.
Meanwhile The Times of India reported that DGP Rao was himself embroiled in a past scandal. In 2014, when he was IGP (Southern Range), a Kerala-based jeweller had accused Mysuru police of misappropriating Rs 2 crore seized from a private bus. The CID had later investigated the case and arrested Rao’s gunman on the charge of dacoity.
