Ranya gold smuggling case: Karnataka govt orders actress' stepfather, DGP Ramachandra Rao, to go on compulsory leave

The DGP is being investigated for alleged protocol violation.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Saturday placed DGP-rank officer K Ramachandra Rao on compulsory leave.

K V Sharath Chandra, Additional Director General of Police (Recruitment), will replace him, the GO added.

Rao’s stepdaughter and Kannada actress Ranya Rao aka Harshavardhini Ranya, was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport for allegedly smuggling gold from Dubai.

An IPS officer, Rao was serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

The Karnataka government, on March 10, appointed Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to probe Rao's possible involvement in Ranya's alleged gold smuggling activities.

Gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized from Ranya at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 upon her arrival from Dubai.

Following this, searches were conducted at her residence, where officials recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stated in a press release.

The DRI informed the Special Court for Economic Offences that Ranya had travelled to Dubai 27 times since January.

The investigation thus far uncovered a sophisticated smuggling methodology, including the use of a State Police Protocol Officer to bypass security, hawala transactions to transfer funds from India to Dubai for purchasing gold, and the involvement of a larger syndicate, the DRI told the court.