Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: ED conducts raids in Bengaluru under PMLA

Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted raids at several locations in Bengaluru and some other places in Karnataka in connection with a gold smuggling case, which allegedly involves Kannada actor Ranya Rao.

In what marks as the latest development in the case, news agency PTI citing sources reported, “a case has now been filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), taking cognisance of a recent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) case in which actor Ranya Rao was arrested.”

Speaking with news agency ANI, BJP MLA Bharath Shetty slammed the Karnataka government for issuing an order withdrawing a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe in the matter. Questioning the move and terming it suspicious, he called out the government and claimed that it might be trying to protect some of its officials from being named in the inquiry.

He said, “Everything looks fishy here... It looks like the CID officials have informed the state government that they won't be able to help the government because a few of the government officials' names might come up in the inquiry. Whereas, when it came to the MUDA case, though an ED inquiry was going on, Siddaramaiah went ahead with the Lokayukta inquiry to free himself from the corruption allegations. They are trying to protect somebody very big here...”

Shetty’s claim comes as the accused Kannada actor is the stepdaughter of K Ramachandra Rao, a DGP-rank officer in the state. Ramachandra Rao’s involvement in the case has also come under the scrutiny of agencies.

Here’s what happened so far

The accused was detained by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport over allegations of gold smuggling from Dubai. She came under the agency’s radar after her frequent visits to Dubai. The agency recovered gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore and moved the searches then to her residence in Bengaluru from where they recovered Rs 2.67 crore in cash and gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore.

Ranya Rao was in DRI’s custody for three days, following which she was produced before a judge at a Special Court for Economic Offences, where she alleged verbal abuse at the hands of the official. The court ordered her to be sent to judicial custody on Monday till March 24. On Wednesday, the court also stayed its order on her bail plea and the verdict is likely to be passed on Friday.

The accused, while recording a statement with the DRI, informed them that this was her first time smuggling gold and how she did it. This comes after the Karnataka government withdrew its order seeking a CID probe in the case. In the previously issued order, the government sought an inquiry into the ‘possible lapses’ and dereliction of duty on behalf of police officers.