Kannada actress Ranya Rao's alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case has triggered a political slugfest in Karnataka with the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party trading charges of favouritism and cover-up.
Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao was arrested a week ago for allegedly smuggling gold worth Rs 12 crore from Dubai.
While the BJP has alleged the involvement of an influential minister in shielding her, the Congress countered the charge by accusing the saffron party of allotting 12 acres to her to set up a TMT steel bar factory.
Karnataka Minister M B Patil clarified later that the allotment of 12 acres of land did not happen as Rao's company failed to make the prescribed payment.
In a post on X, BJP Karnataka president B Y Vijayendra said, 'Media reports about the involvement of a prominent minister in @siddaramaiah's government in one of the biggest gold heists in recent times come as no surprise, especially given this government's track record of churning out scandals in increasingly 'innovative' ways!'
The MLA said that the blatant violation of government protocols that allegedly enabled Ranya Rao to smuggle gold over Rs 12 crore could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government.
The BJP state chief further said if these reports were true, then it raised serious concerns about the extent of the alleged nexus.
"Any attempt by the government to shield those responsible will only backfire, especially with the CBI now stepping in. The truth will come out, and any cover-up will only further expose the government's complicity in this grievous offence," he said.
State Home Minister G Parameshwara said the investigation was underway and with the Central Bureau of Investigation also stepping in, the truth will come out.
"Until the investigation concludes, we cannot say anything. Neither me nor the government can offer any such feedback," he told reporters in Bengaluru on Monday.
Minister for Medium and Large Industries, M B Patil, hit back, saying that when the BJP was in power, it allotted 12 acres land at Sira in Tumakuru to Ranya Rao's firm in February, 2023 to establish a steel plant.
Earlier, Patil's office had shared the government's final notification issued on February 22, 2023, regarding the allocation of land to Ranya's firm Ksiroda India at the Sira Industrial Area in the Tumakuru district, after sensing that the smuggling case was taking a political turn.
Regarding the KIADB land allotment case, Vijayendra said, "It might have happened during the BJP's tenure. Let them investigate. We are not stopping them."
On Monday, Patil's office issued a statement saying that the 12 acres of land sanctioned to Ksiroda India Private Limited, a company linked to actress Ranya Rao, has not been officially allocated as the company failed to make the prescribed payment.
The statement said that the decision to allot 12 acres to Ksiroda India Private Limited, in which Ranya is one of the directors, at Sira Industrial Area was taken during the 137th State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) meeting held on January 2, 2023.
"However, since the company did not remit the required payment within the stipulated time, the land has not been officially handed over," the minister clarified.
Rao remanded to 14 days' judicial custody
Rao, meanwhile, was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a special court for economic offences, on Monday.
The actress was in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for three days for interrogation.
On Monday, the DRI officials produced her before the court where she broke down.
The DRI officials on Monday arrested one more person in connection with the case.
The arrested person is the son of a prominent hotelier and was allegedly a partner in gold smuggling involving the actress.
The businessman was produced before the special court for economic offences, which allowed the DRI to keep him in its custody for five days.
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