Bengaluru
Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has been arrested at Bangalore International Airport on charges of smuggling 14.8 kg worth Rs 12 crore. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) took this action on the basis of secret information. Investigation agencies are now trying to find out whether Ranya was part of a big smuggling gang and whether any government official is involved in it.
DRI Rao was detained by DRI Rao after returning to India by flight from Dubai on Monday night. On Tuesday, he was produced in the Economic Crime Court, from where he was sent to 14 days judicial custody.
Police suspected to go to Dubai again and again
According to DRI officials, Ranya Rao had gone to Dubai four times in the last 15 days, which increased her doubts. The agencies suspected that she could be involved in illegal activities. When she returned to Bengaluru, the authorities conducted a special campaign and caught him.
Police officer’s daughter, has acted in famous films
32 -year -old Ranya Rao is the daughter of IPS officer Ramchandra Rao, who is the Director General of Police Housing Corporation (DGP) in Karnataka. The actress has worked in Kannada films Manikya (in which Sudeep was in the lead roles) and Patakakh (in which Ganesh was in the lead role). In addition, she was seen opposite Vikram Prabhu in the Tamil film Vagah.
Gold was hidden in clothes
Investigation has revealed that Ranya smuggled gold rods inside her clothes. He hid a large amount of gold inside his jacket, as well as he himself wearing gold jewelery. The officials suspect that they tried to avoid custom checking using their influence.
Daughter of IPS officer told himself to escape
According to media reports, Ranya described himself as the daughter of Ramchandra Rao, DGP of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation at the airport and contacted local police officers and demanded a escort service. It is now being investigated whether his father or other police officers were involved in the matter or were misled.
Checking of smuggling network continues
According to DRI officials, this cannot be a case of personal smuggling. Ranya Rao is feared to be connected to a big syndicate that smuggled gold between Dubai and India. Currently, he is being questioned at DRI headquarters at HBR Layout in Bangalore.
Well-known name in South Indian cinema
Ranya Rao has worked with superstar Sudeep in Kannada film “Manikya” (2014). Apart from this, he has also acted in Tamil and Telugu films. However, after this smuggling scandal, his image has been shocked.
The actress claims to be blackmailed!
During interrogation, Ranya Rao claimed that he was being blackmailed for gold smuggling. Meanwhile, his statement has been recorded by detaining constable Basavaraju. After his arrest, the authorities raided his residence on March 4. 2.67 crore cash and gold worth Rs 2.06 crore were recovered from here. Three big boxes were also seized in this raid, causing the total seizure price to 17.29 crores.
Ranya Rao sent to 14 -day judicial custody
Ranya Rao has been sent to 14 days judicial custody under the Customs Act of 1962. He is currently in the Quarantine Cell of Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, while the investigation is on. The actress has also applied for bail, but DRI has not yet issued any official statement in this case.