Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: Karnataka govt withdraws CID probe into police role

The Congress government in Karnataka has withdrawn its order directing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe possible lapses and dereliction of duty by police officers at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport in connection with Kannada actor Ranya Rao's gold smuggling case.

The state police's CID was initially tasked with investigating protocol violations at the Airport. The state government's Home Ministry has now revoked the probe order, according to media reports.

According to the government's order withdrawing the CID, Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta is already probing the possible role of Ranya's stepfather, K Ramachandra Rao, a DGP-rank officer, in the case.

Rao is currently serving as the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

CBI investigating the case

The state government's move comes days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe into the high-profile 14-kg gold smuggling case. Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru international airport with 14 kgs of gold tucked into her clothes and under bandages. She was sent jail custody for 14 days after questioning by the state police.

The 33-year-old actor has claimed that she was ‘verbally tortured’ and not allowed to rest while in police custody for the first 24 hours.

On March 12, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which is also investigating the case, said that money was arranged and transferred through hawala and they are investigating that channel. "It shows that a syndicate was operating," the DRI said.

The DRI also claimed that the smuggling was going on with the help of the state Protocol Officer. Accused Rao had passed through the immigration and the Green Channel with the help of the State Protocol Officer, said the DRI, according to a report in NDTV.

"We (the DRI) had intercepted there once she passed the Green Channel, She had no intention to declare what she was carrying," the DRI counsel added.

Rao had come under the lens of the DRI due to her frequent foreign trips. Within the last six months, she had made 27 trips to Dubai, and also the United States.

Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore were seized from Harshvardhini Ranya, alias Ranya Rao, at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. A subsequent search of her home in Bengaluru's Lavelle Road yielded gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to ₹2.67 crore.

The DRI has taken Tarun Kondaraju, a friend of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, into custody and presented him in court on Tuesday, according to news agency ANI.

Authorities have accused the Sandalwood actor of using her stepfather's name and position to gain unauthorised access to VIP airport privileges meant for senior officials and to bypass security checks.