BJP leader Amit Malviya on Wednesday shared on X a purported photograph of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah with gold smuggling accused Ranya Rao, alleging the case has now reached the doorstep of the Congress leader. The remark came amid the BJP’s allegation that senior government functionaries, including officials, had been aiding the actor in allegedly carrying out her smuggling operation.
“The Ranya Rao gold smuggling case in Karnataka has now reached the doorstep of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This dated photo also features the current Home Minister, G. Parmeshwara. Ironically, the man dismissing any political links is none other than Congress’s CM-in-waiting, DK Shivakumar,” Amit Malviya wrote on X.
Ranya Rao, a Kannada actor, was caught by DRI smuggling over 14 kilograms of gold through the Bengaluru airport. She had allegedly strapped the gold bars to her waist and thighs and hid pieces of the precious metal into her shoes.
Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao. According to reports, Rao had visited Dubai 30 times in a year, which placed her under the scanner of the agency.
All you need to know about the Ranya Rao case
The Karnataka government has appointed additional chief secretary Gaurav Gupta to probe the role of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, if any, in the alleged gold smuggling activity of Ranya Rao.
The officer has distanced himself from his stepdaughter, saying he wasn’t privy to Ranya Rao and her husband’s business activities.
The government also ordered a CID investigation into alleged lapses and dereliction of duty of police officers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
“ACS Gaurav Gupta has been appointed as the Investigating Officer to investigate the facts and circumstances leading to the availing of the protocol-related facilities and the role of the Director General of Police of the State, IPS cadre, Ramachandra Rao, Managing Director, Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Corporation in this case,” the order reads.
The action was taken after the media reported that Ranya Rao had misused the courtesy facilities provided to high-ranking officials at airports.
“It was also reported that Ranya misused the protocol services provided to her by her father Ramachandra Rao, IPS…. and used the name and address of the person and the protocol services provided to her to evade checks at airports,” the order added.
DRI seized gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from Ranya Rao at the Kempegowda International Airport on March 3. The next day, the DRI said it seized gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 from her house in Bengaluru.
With inputs from agencies