The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a money laundering case against Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was recently apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), an official familiar with the matter said.
The official said that ED also carried out raids at eight locations across the state as part of the investigation. Simultaneously, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted raids at nine locations in Bengaluru, targeting properties linked to Ranya Rao’s husband, Jatin Vijaykumar Hukkeri. Three agencies are currently probing the case: the DRI, which is handling the smuggling aspect, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is looking into the wider network, and the ED, which is focusing on the hawala angle.
The 33-year-old actor, who is the stepdaughter of a senior IPS officer, was caught smuggling 14.2 kg of gold at Bengaluru Airport. DRI officials became suspicious due to her frequent trips to Dubai — four visits in 15 days. Upon interrogation, officials discovered that some of the gold was concealed in her clothing while the rest was worn as jewellery. A subsequent search of her residence revealed gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash.
According to a memo submitted to a special court in Bengaluru on Monday, the DRI alleged that Rao had travelled from Dubai to India twice before her arrest –– first on January 22 and then again on February 10. The agency said that during these visits, the actor smuggled at least 17 gold bars by concealing them in her jacket and belt, and strapped to her thighs. It also said that Rao was part of a “larger gold smuggling syndicate”.
According to DRI, Ranya allegedly operated as a courier for a smuggling syndicate, earning ₹4-5 lakh for each kilogram of gold transported from Dubai to Bengaluru. “During questioning, she revealed that she was instructed via an internet call to collect the gold from Gate A of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. She met a man dressed in a white gown at the dining lounge, who handed her two packets of gold wrapped in thick plastic. She then concealed the gold on her body in a washroom before boarding her Emirates flight on March 3,” DRI said in a statement.
The DRI further stated that Ranya managed to clear security checks with the assistance of a protocol officer involved in the racket. Following her arrest, Ranya was remanded to DRI custody until March 10, which was later extended to March 24.
The Karnataka government initially ordered a CID probe into possible lapses by police personnel at KIA. However, the order was withdrawn within 24 hours, with the investigation being transferred to additional chief secretary Gaurav Gupta under the department of personnel and administrative reforms (DPAR). Home minister G Parameshwara clarified that the decision was made to avoid a parallel investigation, as Ranya’s stepfather, IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, was also under scrutiny.
“In the meantime, the Chief Minister’s Office also gave directions to the DPAR since he (Ramachandra Rao) is an IPS officer. So we decided not to have a parallel inquiry by our (police) department,” Parameshwara said on Thursday.
Dismissing allegations of political pressure, he added, “There was no pressure. No one asked for an inquiry, nor was there pressure to withdraw it. There is no confusion in the decision.” Reacting to claims by the BJP that he and Siddaramaiah attended Ranya Rao’s wedding, Parameshwara said, “We go to thousands of weddings.”
Senior IAS officer Gaurav Gupta has been tasked with investigating protocol violations and the possible role of Ranya’s stepfather in the smuggling operation.