KannadaActress

Ranya Rao was arrested for smuggling gold worth Rs 12.56 crore

 

In a startling twist, Kannada actress Ranya Rao was detained at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on March 5 for her alleged smuggling of gold from Dubai. Based on previous intelligence inputs, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stopped her and confiscated almost 15 kilograms of gold bars with a value of Rs 12.56 crore packed in a particularly customised jacket.

Investigations unveiled that Rao, who is the stepdaughter of top Karnataka IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, had made 30 trips to Dubai in the last year, smuggling gold on every visit. Sources quoted by India Today asserted that she received Rs 1 lakh per kilogram, making around Rs 12-13 lakh on every trip. The actress was said to have used modified jackets and waist belts to carry the contraband without detection.

 

What Ranya Rao Told DRI Officials After Being Intercepted

 

Ranya Rao has been on the radar of the officials for a while now because of the high frequency of her travel abroad. Intercepted at the airport, she tried to pose using her father's identity, claiming to be IPS officer Ramachandra Rao's daughter, who is currently the Director-General of Police (DGP) at Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation. But officials, following credible intelligence, went ahead with a search and found the hidden gold.

The combined seizure in the case, comprising assets traced to Rao, is Rs 17.29 crore, while another Rs 4.73 crore worth of properties is being probed.

 

Top Cop's Response: 'Shocked and Devastated'

 

Breaking his silence on the scandal, DGP Ramachandra Rao distanced himself from the alleged role of his stepdaughter. "Just like any other father, I was shocked and flabbergasted when I came to know of this through the media. I did not have any knowledge of all these. I don't want to say anything further," he said.

He also made it clear that Ranya does not live with him. "She is staying independently with her husband. There should be some issue between them... (perhaps) due to some family matters," he said.

 

Who Is Ranya Rao

 

Originally from Chikamagaluru, Karnataka, Rao has an engineering degree from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru.

She debuted in films in 2014 with Maanikya, sharing screen space with Kannada superstar Sudeep. The film, a remake of the Telugu hit Mirchi, had her play Manasa, the love interest of Sudeep's character.

Ranya Rao was seen in the Tamil movie Wagah with Vikram Prabhu in 2016, playing a woman trapped between riots in Kashmir. Her last major role was in the 2017 Kannada comedy Pataki, in which she portrayed journalist Sangeetha, the object of actor Ganesh's character.

As officials probe deeper into the case, more information is likely to come out on the smuggling syndicate and Rao's supposed link.