Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to probe role of father -- DGP Ramachandra Rao

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has appointed a senior IAS officer to probe the alleged misuse and violation of protocol in the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case.

The government has tasked Gaurav Gupta, the Additional Chief Secretary to the Karnataka government, with probing the alleged misuse and the role of Ranya's father Director General of Police (DGP) K Ramachandra Rao.

The senior administrator was directed to immediately initiate the probe and submit a report in a week. The government also directed the departments to provide the necessary documents and extend the required help.

The government also separately ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the alleged lapses of police officers who streamlined Ranya's movements and whether there was dereliction of duty from the policemen. 

Both the orders were dated March 10. This is one of the rare instances where four separate probes were underway in a single incident of offence. 

Ranya, 33, who is the stepdaughter of DGP Rao was arrested on March 3 after she flew into Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai. According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), she was found carrying 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore.

The DRI also found that she had used her father's name to obtain an escort from the Airport police station allowing her to skip frisking and checks. The DRI had informed the court that Ranya wrapped the gold bars with crepe bandages and tissues around her body parts, including her thighs, which had been “forthcoming as per the mahazar drawn”.

DRI intensifies the probe

The DRI on Tuesday intensified the probe into the gold smuggling case. While Ranya remained in judicial custody, the DRI arrested Tarun Kondaru Raju, 30, who is a businessman and related to the owners of a prominent hotel chain in the city, and gained his custody for interrogation. 

According to sources, the DRI suspects that Raju and Ranya were friends, in cahoots and that Raju allegedly used Ranya and her access to official protocols to smuggle the gold. The DRI is now investigating what was Raju's connection and whether he was linked with the suspected syndicate behind the smuggling attempts.

The DRI's investigation led to Raju after they managed to extract information from Ranya's electronic devices, including her mobile phone, and analysed the call records. The DRI has termed Ranya the mastermind behind the case and submitted to the court that through the smuggling attempt, Ranya evaded duty amounting to Rs 4.83 crore.

CBI raids Ranya’s house

Trouble seemed to have mounted for Ranya who is in judicial custody. On Monday evening, a team of officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) held a search at her house on Lavelle Road in Central Bengaluru.

The CBI team held the raid as part of the inquest procedure since they registered a separate case probing the involvement of gold smuggling syndicates after Ranya’s arrest by the DRI. Sources said that this was a routine procedure.

The CBI team is also reportedly checking the guest list of Ranya's wedding with architect Jatin Hukkeri a few months ago to ascertain if there were any links with prominent people in the city and if anyone was provided with expensive gifts during the ceremony. 

Multiple teams of the CBI were dispatched to Mumbai and Bengaluru after Ranya’s arrest by the DRI revealed the role of the “existence of syndicate to commit an offence by misusing the protocols".