The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has told the court that a police officer from Karnataka helped in a gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao. DRI argued against Ranya getting bail, saying she traveled to Dubai 27 times since January this year. Ranya is the stepdaughter of a senior police officer, K Ramachandra Rao.
The investigation has revealed advanced methods used to smuggle gold, including using the police to get through security, and pushing money from India to Dubai through secret channels (called Hawala) to buy gold. The DRI suggests that there is a larger group involved in this smuggling operation. Because of these points, the court denied Ranya bail on Friday.
Judge Vishwanath C Gowdar noted that Ranya holds a UAE Resident Identity Card and has a record of traveling to Dubai multiple times this year, which made it hard for the court to give her bail. The DRI also complained that Ranya did not cooperate during the investigation. They stated that the crime is serious, could lead to up to seven years in prison, and affects India’s economy and security.
The court mentioned that there is a strong hint of conspiracy in how Ranya worked with the police officer. The DRI highlighted that the use of secret money transfers and international connections discovered during the investigation add to the seriousness of the case. The judge expressed concern that Ranya might tamper with evidence or intimidate witnesses, which would disrupt the trial.
Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crores were found with Ranya when she arrived at Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai on March 3. In raids on her home, officials also found gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crores and cash of ₹2.67 crores.
The Enforcement Directorate and CBI are also looking into this case. The Karnataka government has appointed Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to examine if Ranya’s stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, had any involvement in her smuggling activities. The government also asked the CID to investigate any mistakes made by police at the airport, but later withdrew the order.
Leave a Reply