5 key revelations by police after arresting actor Ranya Rao for alleged gold smuggling

Performing on a tip-off relating to her suspected involvement in gold smuggling, the Directorate of Income Intelligence (DRI) deployed a staff on the airport earlier than her arrival. She was taken into custody instantly after touchdown.

Ranya Rao, identified for her performances in movies like Maanikya and Pataki, was apprehended by the DRI in Bengaluru.

The next day she was introduced earlier than a particular courtroom for monetary offences, which remanded her to judicial custody till March 18, 2025. Earlier than being positioned in custody, she underwent a medical check-up at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru.

In the meantime, Ramachandra Rao distanced himself from the incident, stating, “The legislation will do its job. There isn’t any black mark on my profession.” He asserted that he had no prior information of Ranya’s alleged involvement in smuggling and solely realized about her arrest by media experiences.

5 key revelations concerning the Kannada actress by police

1. Officers mentioned that 14.8 kg of gold was confiscated from Ranya Rao, making it one of many largest gold seizures at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda Worldwide Airport in recent times. The ministry of finance, in an official assertion, confirmed that the Directorate of Income Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a passenger trying to smuggle foreign-origin gold bars value ₹12.56 crore. The overall seizure within the case amounted to ₹17.29 crore, together with belongings value ₹4.73 crore, delivering a big setback to organised gold smuggling networks.
2. In accordance with the police, throughout questioning, Ranya Rao claimed that her journey to Dubai was for enterprise functions. Nonetheless, DRI officers allege that she was carrying a considerable amount of gold supposed for smuggling into India. She stays in judicial custody because the investigation continues.
3. Ranya Rao, who married Jatin Hukkeri in a grand ceremony at Taj West Finish a number of months in the past, got here below scrutiny after making 4 journeys to Dubai inside 15 days. DRI officers had been monitoring her actions because of her frequent worldwide journey alongside her husband Hukkeri, a well known architect, regardless of no obvious skilled or household ties abroad. “She has travelled to Dubai 30 instances prior to now yr, which we consider was a part of his smuggling operations. She evaded strict checks and infrequently acquired police escorts to bypass airport safety checks,” mentioned an official aware of the investigation who requested to not be named.
4. Income intelligence officers noticed a recurring sample in her journeys and suspected a hyperlink to gold smuggling actions. In accordance with a report by HT, investigators consider that Rao could have used her father’s affect to bypass customs checks.
5. Throughout interrogation, she claimed she was pressured into smuggling gold. Rao was arrested below the Customs Act, 1962, and investigations are underway to find out any connections to a bigger smuggling community. On every journey, she allegedly transported a number of kilograms of gold. As per sources cited by India Right now, she was paid ₹1 lakh per kilogram, reportedly incomes round ₹12-13 lakh per journey.

(With ANI, PTI inputs)