Kannada actress Ranya Rao's frequent trips to Dubai have come under intense scrutiny following her arrest for allegedly smuggling gold into India.
Authorities now suspect that she earned approximately Rs 12 lakh per trip by transporting illicit gold, a practice that has placed her at the center of a massive gold smuggling investigation, media reports said.
Ranya was intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 3 upon her arrival from Dubai on an Emirates flight. Gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized from her at the airport, following which searches were conducted at her residence and gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore were also recovered.
This seizure marks one of the largest gold hauls at Bengaluru airport in recent years.
DRI officials were quoted in the media as saying that the actor travelled to Dubai four times in 15 days, raising revenue intelligence's suspicions.
Ranya is the stepdaughter of senior Indian Police Services officer Ramachandra Rao, a senior police official told PTI.
The DGP-rank officer is currently serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, he added.
Reacting to his daughter's arrest, DGP Ramachandra Rao said that he was shocked and devastated when the incident came to his notice through the media.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Rao sought to distance himself from the controversy, stating, "The law will do its job. There is no black mark on my career."
He maintained that he had no prior knowledge of Ranya's alleged involvement in smuggling activities and came to know about the arrest only through media reports.
"I was also shocked and devastated when such an incident came to my notice through the media, I was not aware of any of these things, like any other father I was also shocked. She is not living with us, she is living separately with her husband, there must be some problem between them due to some family issues," he said.
"Anyway, the law will do its job, there is no black mark in my career. I don't want to say anything more," he added.
The Karnataka government has assured that no one will receive special treatment in the case.
Congress MLA and Legal Advisor to the Chief Minister, A S Ponnanna, emphasised that the law applies equally to all, regardless of family background.
"Whether she is the daughter of a DGP, the Chief Minister, or the Prime Minister, if she has committed a crime, she will be held accountable. If any official nexus is involved, the investigation will reveal it," he said.
On March 4, Ranya was produced before a special court for financial offenses, which remanded her to judicial custody until March 18.
Before being transferred to custody, she underwent a medical examination at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru.
Ranya allegedly smuggled gold by taping it to her body, including her thighs and waist, and hiding it inside her clothes and jacket, India Today reported.
She reportedly travelled to Dubai 30 times in the past year, bringing back kilos of gold each time. Reportedly, she evaded strict checks and often received police escorts to bypass airport security checks, the report said.
During questioning, Ranya claimed that her frequent Dubai visits were for business purposes.
However, DRI officials believe she was part of a larger smuggling network and had been carrying significant quantities of gold into India.
Investigators are now probing whether she was merely a courier or had deeper involvement in the smuggling operation.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are also looking into potential accomplices and the broader network facilitating the illicit trade.
Ranya remains in judicial custody as the investigation continues.
-- with inputs from PTI/ANI
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