'Slapped 10-15 times, starved, made to sign 40 blank pages’: Ranya Rao levels serious charges on DRI officers

Bengaluru: Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who is currently in jail on gold smuggling allegations, had accused the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers of hitting her, slapping her and levelling false allegations against her that she smuggled the gold.

This was revealed in a letter she wrote to the Additional Director General (ADG), DRI, Bengaluru, on March 6, three days after she was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru when she arrived from Dubai. DRI officials alleged that the 33-year-old actor had concealed and carried 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore.

The letter, which was sent to the senior DRI officer via K Suresha, the Chief Superintendent of Prisons at the Parappana Agrahara Prison in Bengaluru where she was lodged at the time, was leaked on Saturday, a day after her bail plea was rejected by the Special Court for Economic Offences. She is currently in judicial custody.

“I wish to inform you that your officer did not even permit me to explain that I am innocent in this matter. They apprehended me from inside the aircraft and from that time till I was produced before the honourable court, I was hit and slapped for about 10 to 15 times by the officers whom I can identify,” Ranya said as per the letter.

“In spite of repeated hitting and slapping me on my face, I refused to sign the statements they prepared. One of the officers said 'if you are not signing the papers, we will expose your father’s name and identity even though we know he is not involved'. Due to the immense pressure, stress and physical assault on me, I have signed about 50 to 60 typed pages and around 40 blank white pages only by force by the DRI officers,” she added.

Ranya’s stepfather is Director General of Police (DGP) K Ramachandra Rao, who is currently being investigated for suspected protocol violation, which Ranya used, the DRI claims, to avoid frisks and checks at the airport.

The actor further alleged that she wasn’t allowed to eat and the officers purposely denied her sleep. She also alleged that she was threatened on March 4 in the car of the DRI officers when they were escorting her to court that if she revealed the assault to the court, they would expose her DGP stepfather’s name.

A few days after her arrest, a photograph had leaked of Ranya in DRI custody that showed what appeared to be dark circles under her eyes.