DRI says Kannada actor Ranya gold smuggling ‘mastermind’; one more arrested

Bengaluru: Kannada actor Ranya Rao, arrested for alleged gold smuggling, was on Monday remanded in judicial custody, even as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested another person in the case.

The DRI, which termed Ranya the “mastermind” in its submissions before the court, arrested Tarun Raju, said to be related to the owners of a prominent hotel chain in Bengaluru.

However, DRI sources, when contacted by DH, refused to reveal his background or about his role in the case as it “would hamper the probe”.

Raju has been remanded in the agency’s custody. The DRI is also analysing Ranya’s call detail records (CDRs), which, it says, suggest her links to “influential people” in the city. The DRI also suspects Ranya used hawala networks in the city linking to Dubai. 

Ranya, 33, who was interrogated by the DRI for three days, was produced before the special court for economic offences here at around 4 pm. Since the DRI did not seek her further custody, the judge remanded her to judicial custody for two weeks and she was taken to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.

The DRI has submitted to the court that through the smuggling attempt, Ranya evaded duty amounting to Rs 4.83 crore and she “was the mastermind in the case”, according to a court order seen by DH.

The court was also informed that there was an “existence of syndicate to commit an offence by misusing the protocols”. 

The DRI also informed the court that Ranya wrapped the gold bars with crepe bandages and tissues around her body parts, including her thighs, which has been “forthcoming as per the mahazar”.

When Ranya was produced before the court on Monday, she accused the DRI investigators of “verbally abusing her, leading to mental distress”.

The DRI, rejecting the claims, informed the court that Ranya never answered their questions satisfactorily and the whole interrogation was recorded and will be submitted to the court if necessary.

On March 7, before the DRI was granted Ranya’s custody, she had filed a bail application before the court. The court on Monday directed the DRI to submit their objections, if any, to the bail application by Tuesday.

Ranya, who is the stepdaughter of Director General of Police (DGP) K Ramachandra Rao was arrested on March 3 after she flew into Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai.

According to the DRI, she was found carrying 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore.

Meanwhile, sources said the CBI was looking at the larger syndicate and not solely focusing on Ranya’s case.

This is because two people from the UAE and Oman were caught by the DRI at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on March 6. They were found with gold worth Rs 19 crore. 

The two arrested had arrived from Dubai via an Emirates flight, which Ranya also flew. Sources say that the CBI suspects the same syndicate is likely to be involved in both cases and hence jumped in to probe the links. 

'Will look into cops' failure' 

Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday told the Assembly that his department would look into "police failure" in the gold smuggling case especially allegations that she was given security by law enforcement personnel.