BENGALURU: Karnataka DGP (Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao, whose daughter Ranya Rao was arrested for gold smuggling on Monday, said that he was “like any other father, I was devastated when it came to my notice.”
“Like any other father, I was devastated when it came to my notice through the media. I was not aware of any of these things. She is living separately with her husband; there may be some problems between them due to family issues. There has been no blemish on my career,” DGP Rao said.
Ranya Rao, a 32-year-old actress known for her roles in Kannada and Tamil films, was intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) after arriving from Dubai.
She was caught smuggling 14 kg of gold bars hidden in a belt strapped to her body, along with 800 grams of gold ornaments.
Presented before a magistrate on Tuesday, she was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. Officials suspect she is part of a larger smuggling syndicate that has been operating through Bengaluru airport in recent months.
Intelligence sources indicate that Ranya had been monitored by DRI due to her frequent international travel, with over 10 recorded trips this year. “Officials became suspicious after noticing her multiple short-duration visits to the Gulf,” said an officer stationed at KIA.
On Monday, a DRI team intercepted her based on observed patterns. “She looked extremely confident as she disembarked, showing no signs of nervousness. But when searched, officers were shocked to find gold bars cleverly concealed in a belt,” a source said.
The agency is examining CCTV recordings of her previous entries to determine if she had transported gold before.
“In her last four trips over the past 15 days, she wore similar attire, with the belt hidden from view,” the source added.
Reports indicate she utilised bureaucratic protocol privileges to avoid detection. A protocol officer would accompany her through the airport, bypassing security checks, whilst a government vehicle transported her, avoiding road inspections.
The case has additional significance as DGP Rao faced allegations in 2014 when serving as IGP (Southern Range), involving a Kerala jeweller’s claim of Rs 2 crore being misappropriated from a private bus by Mysuru police.
The CID’s investigation led to the arrest of Rao’s gunman for dacoity. Various agencies are now investigating Ranya’s connections to broader smuggling networks.