Karnataka Govt Withdraws CID Probe Into Actor Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case

The actor was arrested on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru with gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore tucked into her clothes and under bandages.

Karnataka government has withdrawn CID probe into the role of police in Actor Ranya Rao gold smuggling case.

Source : X

The Karnataka government on Wednesday withdrew the Criminal Investigation Department probe into actor Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case. The state CID was initially ordered by the state government to investigate the possible lapses and violations in duty by police officers at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru in connection with the case. However, the state Home Ministry has now revoked the order.

The development comes after a CID probe order was issued on Monday night and two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation of the14-kg gold smuggling case. 

A subsequent order was issued reagrding the withdrawal of the CID investigation stating that the possible role of Ranya's stepfather, K Ramachandra Rao, a DGP-rank officer, is already being probed by Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta.

Ramachandra Rao is currently serving as the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation. Gupta's inquiry will focus on investigating if Rao was involved in the case and also the facts and circumstances which led to the misuse of protocol-related facilities at the airport.

The actor was arrested on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru with gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore tucked into her clothes and under bandages. Following this, she was sent to jail custody for 14 days after being interrogated by the state police.

Searches were also conducted at her residence, where officials are said to have found gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.

The 33-year-old has alleged "verbally tortured" by the police during her time in custody. She even claimed that she was not allowed to rest while in police custody for the first 24 hours. Her lawyer has also said that the police violated multiple protocols at the time of her arrest.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which is also investigating the gold smuggling case, said Thursday that a huge sum of money was arranged and transferred through 'hawala', hinting that a syndicate was operating.