Gold smuggling case: Actor Ranya Rao remanded to 14-day judicial custody

Kannada actor Ranya Rao was caught at Bengaluru airport with 14.8 kg of gold, as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence uncovered the smuggling operation just before she cleared security

A special court in Bengaluru on Monday has sent actor Ranya Rao to judicial custody until March 24. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Rao on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kg of gold from Dubai.

Political clash

Days after Ranya Rao’s arrest at the Bengaluru airport for smuggling gold, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused her of seeking help from two ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to escape legal trouble.

 

State BJP chief BY Vijayendra claimed that the “blatant violation” of protocols that reportedly facilitated the smuggling “could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government”.

 

 

In response, the Congress alleged that during the Basavaraj Bommai-led government, the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board allotted land to Ranya Rao in 2023 for a steel plant project.  

 

‘Tried to contact two ministers’  

Amid growing speculation about the actor’s political links, BJP MLA Y Bharath Shetty said, “When she was caught, she tried to contact some Congress ministers to use their influence to get out of the problem. Now it is almost in the public domain that two ministers are trying to help her. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the case, something solid will come out of it and we will know who is behind this.” 

 

BJP state president Vijayendra referred to media reports alleging a senior minister’s involvement. Posting on X, he said that such claims were unsurprising, stating it aligned with the government’s history of “churning out scandals in increasingly innovative ways”.  

 

“The blatant violation of government protocols that allegedly enabled Ranya Rao to smuggle gold worth over Rs 12 crore – and possibly much more in the past – could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government. If these reports are true, it raises serious questions about how deep this nexus runs,” Vijayendra said.  

 

He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would have received intelligence reports identifying the ministers involved. “Any attempt by the government to shield those responsible will only backfire, especially with the CBI now stepping in. The truth will come out, and any cover-up will only further expose the government’s complicity in this grievous offence,” he said.  

 

Karnataka home minister’s response  

Reacting to BY Vijayendra’s allegations regarding the two ministers, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, “Now this has been handed over to CBI. Let the CBI come out with their findings. Till then, this is speculation.”

 

Regarding the BJP-era land allotment to the actor, he said, “Even that has to be found out. I was told this was allotted when the BJP was in power. Let them [CBI] find out.”  The CBI is now investigating the high-profile case, which emerged after a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) team detained Ranya Rao at Bengaluru airport last week, recovering 14 kg of gold.  

 

According to the DRI, the case has national security implications, and the CBI has now taken over the probe. Ranya Rao, who is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, remains in DRI custody for questioning.  

 

Ranya Rao gold smuggling case

Ranya Rao was intercepted at Bengaluru airport just before clearing security when a DRI team discovered the gold bars. The 33-year-old actor had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight. “Upon examination, gold bars weighing 14.2 kg were found ingeniously concealed in person. The contraband, valued at Rs 12.56 crore was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962,” a DRI statement said.  

 

Following this, investigators searched her residence on Lavelle Road in Bengaluru, where they seized additional valuables. "Following the interception, DRI officers conducted a search at her residential premises located at Lavelle Road, Bengaluru, where she resides with her husband. The search resulted in the seizure of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore,” the agency reported, as quoted by NDTV.

 

Immigration records identified Ranya Rao as a frequent international traveller. She travelled to Dubai on December 24 last year and returned on December 27. In January, she visited the US from January 18 to 25. Between February 2 and March 3, she made five trips to Dubai.   

Authorities began monitoring her due to her frequent overseas travel, which raised suspicions. Last year alone, she made 27 trips to Dubai, leading to intensified scrutiny by the DRI.

 

[With agency inputs]