Ranya has been placed under arrest under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
Published Mar 05, 2025 | 1:42 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 05, 2025 | 6:31 PM
Ranya Rao. (X)
In a major gold smuggling bust, the DRI arrested Kannada actor Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.56 crore from Dubai. She arrived in Bengaluru on an Emirates flight from Dubai on the night of Monday, 3 March.
Following this, the officials raided her Lavelle Road residence, which led to the seizure of ₹2.06 crore worth of gold jewellery and ₹2.67 crore in cash. The total seizure stands at ₹17.29 crore.
She has been placed under arrest under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
According to an Indian Express report, Ranya had been under DRI surveillance due to her frequent international trips. Officials said she managed to wear most of the gold inconspicuously while also concealing gold bars in her clothing.
With Ranya being related to a DGP-rank IPS officer in Karnataka, the officials are also investigating if she had any support from law enforcement.
Preliminary findings suggest that upon arriving at the airport, she would identify herself as the DGP’s daughter and request local police escorts to her home. The DRI is now probing whether these officers were complicit or unknowingly involved in the smuggling network.
Ranya made her film debut in 2014 with the Kannada movie Maanikya, directed by and starring Kichcha Sudeep.
Later, she was seen in the film Wagah (2015), marking her debut in Tamil cinema, where she starred opposite Vikram Prabhu as the female lead. In 2017, she acted in Pataki, a Kannada comedy.
Ramachandra Rao, DGP of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, expressed his shock and devastation upon learning through the media about his daughter, Ranya Rao, being arrested by the DRI for allegedly smuggling gold from Dubai. He stated, “I had no prior knowledge of this, and like any other father, I was deeply shocked.”
On his daughter Ranya Rao arrested by DRI for allegedly smuggling gold from Dubai, Ramachandra Rao, DGP of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation says, “I was also shocked and devastated when such an incident came to my notice through the media, I was not aware of any of…
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2025
