Bengaluru: A special court for economic offences in the city Friday remanded Kannada actor Ranya Rao, caught with 14.2 kg gold at Kempegowda International Airport Monday night, in three-day custody of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Daughter of senior IPS officer and director general of police (Karnataka Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao, Ranya was caught allegedly smuggling in 17 gold bars while returning from Dubai to Bengaluru.

In a voluntary statement to DRI and reviewed by TOI, Ranya said, “I’m born and brought up in Bengaluru. I studied up to (class) 12. I’m an artist in the film industry/ theatre. I’m a wildlife photographer and freelancer in real estate in Dubai...I’m married to Jatin Hukkeri, an architect, and stay with him on Lavelle Road. I have read the mahazar dated March 3 drawn at Kempegowda International Airport and affixed my dated signature as a token of having seen the mahazar. I accept that 17 pieces of gold bars were recovered frommy possession.”

Passing his orders Friday afternoon, judge Vishwanatha C Gowdar from the special economic offences cases court directed DRI sleuths to produce Ranya before him on or before 4.30pm, Monday. Ranya was in judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison.

Accompanied by two DRI women sleuths, Ranya walked into the court around 5.45 pm. Judge Gowdar asked Ranya whether she was illtreated by police during transit or at any other time. Ranya replied in the negative. The DRI team is being led by investigating officer Nageshwar Rao and includes senior intelligence officer Neha Kumari. “The accused shouldn’t be threatened during police custody. She should be provided basic amenities, including food. Her health should be taken care of. Each day, after interrogation is over, Ranya’s counsel can meet her for 30 minutes in the presence of DRI officials,” the judge said.

He directed Ranya to fully cooperate with the investigating agency during their custody. Ranya’s counsel, Girish, sought permission to speak to his client. The court permitted this, saying he can speak to her in the presence of DRI officials.

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Bengaluru: Sandalwood actor Ranya Rao, daughter of director general of police (Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao, was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday night, on charges of gold smuggling.

Ranya, who had arrived from Dubai, was caught with 14 kg of gold bars concealed in a belt strapped to her body, along with 800 grams of gold ornaments. She was produced before a judge on Tuesday evening and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. Investigators suspect she is part of a gold smuggling racket that has been actively operating through Bengaluru airport for the past few months.

The 32-year-old actress has acted in a few Kannada movies including the Sudeep-starrer Maanikya and Ganesh-starrer Pataki, as well as the Tamil movie Wagah starring Vikram Prabhu.

According to sources, Ranya came under DRI’s radar due to her frequent foreign trips — reportedly making over 10 trips since the beginning of the year. “Officials got suspicious and started tracking her multiple short trips to the Gulf,” an officer posted at KIA said.

“When she boarded an Emirates flight from Dubai to Bengaluru on Monday, a DRI team was dispatched to intercept her upon arrival. It was shocking to see how she had concealed the gold bars in the belt. She looked very confident when she disembarked and didn’t raise any suspicion,” the source said.

The four-member DRI team is reviewing footage of Ranya’s recent arrivals in the city. “In the four previous trips in 15 days, she was dressed similarly, with the belt hidden from view,” the source said. The DRI is trying to determine whether she smuggled gold on all these occasions and the total quantity brought in.

Sources said she evaded detection taking advantage of official protocol services typically used by senior bureaucrats, including IPS officers. “A protocol officer would meet her at the terminal and escort her out of the building. While her baggage was subject to random and routine checks, she was never physically frisked as she was accompanied by the protocol officer. In fact, a govt vehicle would even pick her up from the airport, ensuring there is no trouble enroute home,” the source explained.

When contacted, DGP K Ramachandra Rao distanced himself from his daughter’s activities. “Four months ago Ranya married Jatin Hukkeri (an architect specializing in designing interior spaces for upscale pubs and microbreweries in the city). She hasn’t visited us since the wedding. We’re completely unaware of her or her husband’s business dealings. This has come as a huge shock and disappointment. She has let us down. If there is any violation, the law will take its course,” Rao told TOI.

In 2014, when Rao was IGP (Southern Range), Mysuru police came under scrutiny when a Kerala-based jeweller accused them of pocketing Rs 2 crore. On Jan 4 that year, a police team intercepted a private bus at Mysuru border and seized Rs 2.2 crore in cash being transported to Kerala. However, when registering the case, cops declared only Rs 20 lakh as the unaccounted money. The CID later investigated the case and arrested Rao’s gunman for dacoity.

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