BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal claims he will reveal names of ministers involved in a gold smuggling case linked to actress Ranya Rao during the Assembly session.

NEW DELHI: Karnataka BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal on Monday claimed that he will reveal the names of all ministers involved in the high-profile gold smuggling case linked to Kannada actress Ranya Rao during the upcoming Assembly session.
He asserted that he has gathered detailed information about Rao’s connections, those who facilitated her security, and the mechanisms used to smuggle gold into the country.
“I have collected all details about her relationships, who helped her get security, and how the gold was smuggled. I will expose everything in the Assembly. If someone is guilty, they must be held accountable. Can we defend someone just because they are a central government employee? There were lapses by customs officials, and necessary action should be taken against them. She had gold all over her body and smuggled it in,” Yatnal stated.

Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar earlier dismissed allegations of ministerial involvement, calling them “political gossip.” He emphasized that the case is being handled by central agencies and that the state government has no role in the investigation.
“No minister is involved, we don’t know anything. It is all political gossip. Investigating officers will proceed as per the law. We have nothing to do with it,” Shivakumar said.
Ranya Rao, 34, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport after arriving from Dubai with 14.8 kg of gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore.
The following day, the DRI seized gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash from her Bengaluru residence. She is the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP-rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, currently serving as Chairman and Managing Director of Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now registered an FIR in the case, with former Karnataka chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai calling for a thorough probe. Bommai insisted that gold smuggling at such a large scale is not an isolated incident and demanded that the entire network be exposed.
“A crime of this magnitude cannot happen without complicity at some level. The entire network must be uncovered, and a CBI probe will reveal who is responsible,” Bommai stated. He also denied any links to the allocation of land to Xiroda India Pvt. Ltd., where Rao was a director, clarifying that the matter never reached the Chief Minister’s office during his tenure.
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an investigation into allegations of protocol violations at Kempegowda International Airport and the possible involvement of IPS officer Ramachandra Rao in facilitating the smuggling operation.
An official government order noted that Rao allegedly misused VIP courtesy services to evade security checks. The document also highlighted that such privileges were extended to her father, raising concerns over a potential misuse of power.
“It is reported that Mrs. Rao misused her name and courtesy services to evade checks at airports and conduct illegal activities. Therefore, the government considers it necessary to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding these privileges and the role of Shri Ramachandra Rao, IPS, in the case,” the order stated.
During questioning, Ranya Rao claimed her Dubai trip was for business, but investigators suspect she was part of a larger gold smuggling network.
The DRI is now probing the role of businessman Tarun Raju in facilitating these operations. Rao was initially remanded to DRI custody until March 10, with a court permitting her lawyer to meet her daily for half an hour. She was later shifted to judicial custody until March 18.
Authorities also suspect Rao exploited protocol loopholes to bypass airport frisking. A source revealed that she was often met by protocol officers at the terminal and escorted out without screening.
CCTV footage is being reviewed to check if she had smuggled gold during previous trips, as records indicate she made over 10 international trips in the past year, several of them within a short span.