Ranya Rao case: Actor could be part of ‘coordinated gold smuggling syndicate’ operating from Dubai, says DRI
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has informed a Karnataka court that actor Ranya Rao, arrested in a gold smuggling case, was part of a smuggling syndicate and had illegally brought gold into the country on multiple occasions.
Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore were seized from Harshvardhini Ranya, alias Ranya Rao, at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. A subsequent search of her home in Bengaluru’s Lavelle Road yielded gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to ₹2.67 crore.
Kannada actor, Rao had come under the lens of the DRI due to her frequent foreign trips. Within the last six months, she had made 27 trips to Dubai, and also the United States.
Rao had travelled from Dubai to India twice before her arrest – first on January 22 and then again on February 10. The agency said that during these visits, the actor smuggled at least 17 gold bars by concealing them in her jacket and belt, and strapped to her thighs, according to a memo submitted to a special court in Bengaluru on Monday, Hindustan Times reported.
“Contrary to her voluntary statements, the Dubai Customs declarations – dated November 12, 2024, and December 20, 2024 – recovered from her residence indicate that, in the recent past, she had purchased gold from Dubai, declared to Dubai Customs that she intended to travel to Geneva with the said gold, but instead deviated and arrived in India,” the memo read, as quoted by Hindustan Times report.
On March 12, theDRI, which is also investigating the case apart from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said that money was arranged and transferred through hawala and they are investigating that channel.
“It is necessary to arrest Ranya to prevent her from committing any further offence as she appears to be part of a larger syndicate with considerable resources and a sophisticated network,” read the memo.
‘Coordinated smuggling syndicate’
The DRI has asked the CBI to probe a larger conspiracy of a “coordinated smuggling syndicate” operating from Dubai and the role of government officials in it, according to a report in the Indian Express.
The DRI approached the CBI after it arrested two foreign nationals from Oman and UAE at the Mumbai airport earlier this month with 21.28 kg of gold worth ₹18.92 crore.
The DRI has taken Tarun Kondaraju, a friend of Kannada actressRanya Rao, into custody and presented him in court on Tuesday, according to news agencyANI.
Authorities have accused the Sandalwood actor of using her stepfather’s name and position to gain unauthorised access to VIP airport privileges meant for senior officials and to bypass security checks.
Karnataka Govt Withdraws CID Probe
The Congress government in Karnataka has withdrawn its order directing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe possible lapses and dereliction of duty by police officers at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in connection with Kannada actor Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case.
It is necessary to arrest Ranya to prevent her from committing any further offence as she appears to be part of a larger syndicate with considerable resources and a sophisticated network.
The state police’s CID was initially tasked with investigating protocol violations at the Airport. The state government’s Home Ministry has now revoked the probe order, according to media reports.
