Gold Smuggling Case: IPS Officer’s Stepdaughter Ranya Rao Arrested, Father Says “Shocked and Devastated”
Bengaluru: Senior Karnataka police officer Ramachandra Rao has distanced himself from the arrest of his stepdaughter, Ranya Rao, who was caught attempting to smuggle nearly 15kg of gold into India. Speaking about the incident, he said he was “shocked and devastated” but asserted that his career remains untarnished.
“The law will take its course. There is no black mark on my career,” said Rao, who serves as the Director-General of Police (Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation). He also clarified that he was unaware of his stepdaughter’s alleged activities.
Ranya Rao, an actress known for her role opposite Kannada superstar Sudeep in Maanikya (2014), was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Bengaluru airport on Monday night. She had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight when officials discovered 14.8kg of gold in her possession. Sources say she had concealed some gold by wearing it and had stashed the rest in her clothing. Reports also indicate that two aides were carrying gold bars in briefcases.
Authorities had been tracking Ms. Rao after she made four trips to Dubai in just 15 days. Suspicious of her frequent travel, they set a trap, stopping her and her aides just before they could exit customs. The total seizure—gold valued at Rs 12.56 crore—marks one of the biggest gold smuggling busts at Bengaluru airport in recent years.
Further searches at her Lavelle Road residence uncovered Rs 2.06 crore in gold jewelry and Rs 2.67 crore in cash, pushing the total value of the case to Rs 17.29 crore.
Ms. Rao allegedly tried to use her connections to bypass security, reportedly identifying herself as the daughter of a Karnataka DGP and even calling local police for an escort.
“The passenger has been arrested under relevant provisions of the Customs Act and remanded to judicial custody,” the DRI said in a statement. Investigators are now probing whether she was acting alone or had assistance from insiders, including law enforcement personnel.
Ranya Rao remains in DRI custody as officials work to uncover potential links to a larger gold smuggling network.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
