On Kannada actress Ranya Rao’s arrest in a gold smuggling case, Congress MLA and legal advisor to the Karnataka chief minister, AS Ponnanna said that the law will take its own course irrespective of his connections or relations.
Ponnanna’s statement came in reference to the fact that Ranya is the stepdaughter of Karnataka’s Director General of Police (DGP) Dr K Ramachandra Rao.
“She is accused of indulging in smuggling. The law will take its course, whether she is the DGP’s, the CM’s or the Prime Minister’s daughter. If there is any official nexus involved in this, it will come out in the investigation,” Ponnanna said, adding Ranya was being treated as any other accused.
Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who is known for her roles in films like Maanikya and Pataki, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday.
She was detained at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAD) after arriving on an Emirates flight from Dubai. Upon landing, the actress was immediately arrested and taken into custody.
DRI officials, who had been tipped off about her suspected involvement in gold smuggling, stationed a team at the airport ahead of her arrival.
The arrest comes after allegations that she was involved in smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold from Dubai into India.
According to the DRI, the gold in her possession weighed a total of 14.8 kilograms.
Ranya Rao is in DRI custody
On March 4, 2025, Ranya was produced before a special court judge for financial offences, where she was remanded into judicial custody until March 18, 2025.
Before being transferred to custody, Ranya underwent a medical examination at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru.
Also Read | 14 kg gold haul, 4 Dubai trips: How actor Ranya Rao was caught
The actress, during questioning, claimed her visit to Dubai was for business purposes. However, DRI officials allege that she was carrying a significant amount of gold intended to be smuggled into India.
As of now, Ranya remains in judicial custody while the DRI continues its investigation into the case.