Accused Tarun Raju Remanded To 15-Day Judicial Custody In Gold Smuggling Case

The gold smuggling case first gained public attention when authorities seized gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from actor Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport.

The CID probe, initially ordered on Monday night, was rescinded on Wednesday.

Source : Facebook

In a significant development in the high-profile gold smuggling case involving actor Ranya Rao, accused Tarun Raju has been remanded to 15 days of judicial custody. The remand order was issued by Judge Vishwanath C Gowdar after Raju was produced in court following the completion of his custody with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

According to ANI, accused Tarun Raju has been remanded to 15 days of judicial custody following a request from the DRI. After completing DRI custody, he was produced before Judge Vishwanath C. Gowdar, who issued the order.

Kannada actress Ranya Rao gold smuggling case | Accused Tarun Raju has been remanded to 15 days of judicial custody following a request from the DRI. After completing DRI custody, he was produced before Judge Vishwanath C. Gowdar, who issued the order.

— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2025

 

Karnataka Govt Withdraws CID Probe

In a related move, the Karnataka government has withdrawn its order directing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate alleged lapses and dereliction of duty by police officers at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, reported PTI. The CID probe, initially ordered on Monday night, was rescinded on Wednesday.

Instead, the state government has assigned Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to lead the investigation. Gupta's inquiry will focus on the alleged involvement of Ranya Rao’s stepfather, K. Ramachandra Rao, a Director General of Police (DGP)-rank officer who currently serves as the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The probe aims to uncover whether protocol-related privileges were misused to facilitate the smuggling operation.

The case first gained public attention when authorities seized gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from actor Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport. Subsequent searches at her residence led to the discovery of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash.

Given the involvement of high-profile individuals, including law enforcement officials, the case has triggered widespread scrutiny.