Synopsis
The Enforcement Directorate has begun an investigation into a gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K. Ramachandra Rao. The DRI also conducted raids at multiple locations linked to the case.Key Takeaways
- ED starts investigation into Ranya Rao’s case.
- DRI conducts raids at nine locations.
- Jatin Hukkeri, Ranya's husband, obtained a restraining order.
- Investigation reveals suspicious booking of flights to Dubai.
- Central agencies continue probing the case.
Bengaluru, March 13 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has commenced an investigation into the high-profile gold smuggling case linked to Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who is the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K. Ramachandra Rao. Sources have reported that the ED carried out searches at eight different locations in Bengaluru and surrounding areas, with further details pending.
Simultaneously, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) was also executing raids at nine properties in Bengaluru, focusing on the residences of Ranya Rao’s spouse, Jatin Vijaykumar Hukkeri. On Tuesday, Hukkeri secured an interim order from the High Court preventing his arrest by the DRI.
Investigative sources disclosed that Ranya Rao had booked round-trip flights from Bengaluru to Dubai using Jatin Hukkeri’s credit card, raising concerns regarding his role in the gold smuggling operations.
In a press briefing in Bengaluru, Home Minister G. Parameshwara defended the decision to retract the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into police involvement in the gold smuggling case shortly after its announcement.
“While I had instructed the CID to look into this matter, the Chief Minister simultaneously directed the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) to take charge, considering that DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, Ranya Rao’s stepfather, holds an IPS rank. We concluded that two parallel investigations were unnecessary, leading to the CID probe’s withdrawal,” Parameshwara explained.
When confronted about a recently circulated image featuring him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Ranya Rao’s wedding, Parameshwara reacted sharply, asserting he had attended numerous weddings, including this one.
Sources indicated that following a complaint from the DRI, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially registered an FIR in the gold smuggling case and has ramped up its investigation efforts.
Commenting on the CID probe withdrawal, senior BJP MLA from Bengaluru, S.R. Vishwanath, speculated that the government may have feared potential exposure of political figures and prominent individuals, leading to embarrassment. “Once the government recognized that the CID investigation could unveil such involvement, they retracted the order,” he alleged.
Despite this, Vishwanath expressed confidence that the investigations by the CBI and other central agencies would persist, ensuring the truth is revealed. “The CID would have had to present evidence, which could have subjected the state government to scrutiny. Now that the ED, IT, and CBI are investigating, I am certain that influential individuals will be implicated,” Vishwanath stated.
The DRI investigation uncovered that Ranya Rao received calls from unidentified numbers instructing her to smuggle gold. She also claimed to have learned smuggling techniques by watching YouTube videos.
Ranya Rao further reported she was directed to collect gold from Gate A of Terminal 3 at Dubai Airport, where a tall man in a gown handed it to her. She insisted that this was her initial attempt and that she had no prior experience in gold smuggling.
Allegedly, she informed investigators that she concealed the gold in her jeans and shoes, secured some to her thighs, and wrapped them with scrap bandages in an airport restroom. She was told to deliver the smuggled gold to an unidentified person waiting in an auto-rickshaw on the service road near Bengaluru International Airport, sources revealed.
However, DRI officials concluded that Ranya Rao is evading inquiries and withholding vital information. Sources pointed out that if she had been coerced into smuggling, she could have sought assistance from her stepfather, a senior DGP-rank IPS officer, or approached local law enforcement.
Last Monday, Ranya Rao was apprehended by DRI officials upon her arrival at Bengaluru International Airport for gold smuggling. Under pressure, the state government initiated two separate investigations to ascertain the role of Ranya Rao’s father, DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, in granting her police protocol and escorts. However, the government later retracted the CID probe within 24 hours, sparking controversy.
The Central agencies, CBI and DRI, are continuing their investigation into the case. The actress was apprehended by DRI officers at the airport.
