Gold Smuggling Case: Actress Ranya Rao Sent To Judicial Custody Till March 24

gold smuggling case

The Economic Offences Court in Bengaluru on Monday remanded Kannada actress Ranya Rao to judicial custody till March 24 in connection with a gold smuggling case.

Court Proceedings & Allegations

Ranya Rao was produced before Special Judge Vishwanath C Gowdar at the Special Court for Economic Offences after completing three days in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

The court had earlier ordered the DRI to present her by 4 PM, following which she was produced after a mandatory medical examination. Rao also requested two minutes to consult with her legal team, which the court permitted.

During the hearing, Ranya Rao alleged verbal harassment by DRI officials during interrogation. However, the agency denied the claims, stating, “We only asked relevant questions, and we have video evidence from CCTV recordings to prove there was no misconduct. Additionally, her advocate was present throughout the questioning.”

Arrest & Investigation

Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold from Dubai.

The arrest was based on a tip-off received by the DRI, which had deployed officials at the airport to intercept her upon arrival. She was taken into custody immediately after landing.

Ranya, who is the stepdaughter of DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was first produced before the Special Court for Financial Offences on March 4, where she was initially remanded to judicial custody until March 18.

With her latest court appearance, her custody has now been extended till March 24, as investigations continue into the smuggling case.