On Tuesday, Kannada film actress Ranya Rao was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru over allegations of smuggling gold worth over Rs 12.56 crore from Dubai. Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) confirmed her arrest. The DRI stated that she was caught with 14.2 kg of gold hidden in her clothing and accessories. On Thursday, her first photo in custody emerged as she remains in DRI custody in this gold smuggling case.
Ranya Rao, 33, was being watched by DRI as she was making frequent trips abroad. According to DRI, Ranya Rao travelled to Dubai 27 times this year and that had sparked suspicion of unlawful activities. She was intercepted at the airport after a targeted operation on her arrival on an Emirates flight. As per sources, she had strapped 14 gold bars on her thighs using tape and bandages to avoid getting detection by Customs officials.
Following her arrest, she was produced before an Economic Offences court which sent her to 14 days of judicial custody.
Investigators discovered that Ranya Rao had tried to smuggle the gold by hiding gold bars under her jacket and wearing a substantial amount of it. According to reports, she may have tried to use her connections to bypass customs security. Even she must have reached out to local police personnel for an airport escort. Authorities are probing whether any law enforcement officials, including her stepfather, IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, had prior knowledge of her activities or were misled into assisting her.
After her arrest, the DRI raided Ranya Rao’s residence on Lavelle Road, where she resides with her husband. During the search, officials recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash. The actress has been charged under the Customs Act, 1962, and officials are investigating whether she was working alone or was part of a larger gold smuggling syndicate operating between Dubai and India.
Ranya Rao career
Ranya Rao is a Kannada film actress who entered the world of entertainment in 2014 with the movie Maanikya, sharing screen space with Kannada superstar Sudeep. She was born and brought up in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, and studied engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bangalore before turning to acting. She trained at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute, which helped her gain entry into the South Indian film industry.
Her role in Maanikya as Manasa, the love interest of Sudeep’s character, introduced her to the audience, but the film received mixed reviews. Ranya Rao continued her career with good performances which included her role as Sangeetha, a journalist, in the 2017 comedy film Pataki, where she starred alongside actor Ganesh. The film was appreciated for its humour, and Ranya’s performance was recognized as one of its highlights. Yet, even with all her attempts, she could not manage to land breakout roles that would solidify her position in the industry.
Throughout her years, Ranya had a comparatively low-key career, featuring in a few South Indian movies. Her promising acting career never quite hit the big time. But her recent arrest has eclipsed her professional success, putting her in the limelight of the media for all the wrong reasons.
The charges against Ranya Rao have generated considerable debate, particularly given her connection to high-ranking police officer Ramachandra Rao, the Director General of Police (DGP) of the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation. Though his role is unknown, the authorities are probing if any police officials were involved in facilitating her activities.
