Within the wake of the latest incident whereby movie actress Ranya Rao, 33, was intercepted by the Directorate of Income Intelligence (DRI) with 14.2 kg of gold value Rs 12.56 crore on the Bengaluru Worldwide Airport, state and central authorities are prone to search a reconfiguration of the worldwide arrival space on the airport.
Following an inspection this week of the worldwide arrival space on the Bengaluru Worldwide Airport by a joint workforce of state and central officers, it has been identified that there aren’t any Door Body Steel Detectors (DFMD) in place on the airport for passengers to move by way of on arrival on worldwide flights earlier than coming into the customs space.
“An evaluation of the arrival space for worldwide passengers has proven that the DFMD shouldn’t be positioned in an space utilized by passengers to enter the customs space after they go away an plane and enter the airport constructing. This enables passengers to maneuver to the customs space with out scanning their hand baggage and our bodies,” a state police officer stated.
The Karnataka Police have steered putting in the DFMD gear at factors the place passengers arriving on worldwide flights might be scanned earlier than they enter the customs space. “At current, the customs checks are fully based mostly on intelligence or suspicion and in consequence, hand baggage shouldn’t be checked for worldwide arrivals,” sources stated.
Ranya Rao alias Harshavardini Ranya, who arrived on a Dubai to Bengaluru Emirates flight EK566 on March 3, 2025, was accompanied by a police protocol officer after she exited her flight and walked by way of a inexperienced channel (no items to declare) within the customs space earlier than being intercepted by DRI officers.
A DRI search revealed she had hid gold value Rs 12.56 crore on her individual – which amounted to a customs obligation evasion to the tune of Rs 4.83 crore.
With no steel detectors to examine on the passengers arriving on worldwide flights and the duvet of the police protocol officer – who was allegedly instructed by the stepfather of Ranya Rao, senior Karnataka IPS officer Okay Ramachandra Rao, to help his stepdaughter – the actress was in a position to go away the customs space with none checking, police sources stated.
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An inquiry ordered by the Karnataka authorities into the alleged extension of protocol amenities on the Bengaluru Worldwide Airport to Ranya Rao has discovered that the actress availed the police protocol service each time she arrived from Dubai.
The continuing DRI probe within the gold smuggling case has revealed that Basappa Billur, a Bengaluru police constable who was the protocol officer on the airport, had been instructed by DGP rank officer Okay Ramachandra Rao to help his relations and kinfolk by extending protocol providers throughout their arrival and departure. He has stated that he had been helping Ranya Rao for a few years on the airport.
The extension of the protocol providers by way of the police division is strictly obtainable solely to IPS officers of the rank of SP and above. The rule has been enforced by some senior police officers below whose jurisdiction the airport operates however the providers have been prolonged to family and friends of all officers past the stipulation by others.
The Bengaluru police have in the meantime determined to withdraw the police protocol providers on the airport within the wake of the controversy. The protocol as prescribed by the Division of Personnel and Administrative Reforms will, nonetheless, be obtainable to IAS officers, sources stated.
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