The Directorate of Income Intelligence (DRI) has questioned a senior police officer in Karnataka over an alleged gold smuggling racket wherein his step-daughter, Kannada movie actress Ranya Rao alias Harshavardhini Ranya, 33, was arrested in March this 12 months. Ranya was arrested on the Bengaluru airport with 14.2 kg of gold value ₹ 12.5 crore.
The DRI this week questioned Okay Ramachandra Rao, a director common of police rank officer, concerning his information of the alleged gold smuggling racket, and he could also be questioned once more, sources mentioned.
Rao was reportedly additionally questioned concerning Ranya’s use of an official state automotive that was offered to him when she returned from Dubai following alleged smuggling runs.
“Summons have been issued and the official was questioned over a protracted interval,” a supply mentioned.
Rao, who was despatched on obligatory depart in March after Ranya’s arrest, was reinstated on August 11 and appointed because the director common of police on the Directorate of Civil Rights and Enforcement.
The DRI has sought courtroom permission to document Ranya’s assertion in jail underneath Part 108 of the Customs Act. A particular courtroom for financial offences has granted the DRI time on August 25 for recording a press release.
Whereas looking for permission for recording the assertion, the DRI advised the particular courtroom that it has discovered extra incriminating proof towards the actress and that this “warrants recording of assertion U/s.108 of the Customs Act”.
Story continues under this advert
“The moment software discloses investigation having revealed the conspiracy between accused Nos.1 to three and so additionally the existence of syndicate,” the courtroom famous.
The courtroom additionally famous that Ranya’s assertion was recorded in jail on August 12 based mostly on “permission accorded by Ministry of Finance, Central Financial Intelligence Bureau, (COFEPOSA Wing) vide letter dated: 08-08-2025 addressed to Chief Superintendent, Central Jail, Bengaluru”.
Refined smuggling community: DRI
Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 when she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and allegedly tried to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold value ₹ 12.56 crore by concealing it on her particular person.
Investigations have revealed that Ranya used the police protocol companies obtainable to her stepfather on the Kempegowda Worldwide Airport in Bengaluru each time she arrived from Dubai.
Story continues under this advert
Rao was reportedly in contact with Ranya throughout her Dubai visits and likewise with the protocol officer on the airport on her return from Dubai. As per the DRI, Ranya travelled 27 occasions to Dubai since January 2025, other than a number of different visits in 2024.
The DRI has additionally alleged that Ranya smuggled 49.6 kg of gold valued at over ₹ 40 crore from Dubai between November 2024 and February 2025 (other than the 14.2 kg of gold value ₹ 12.56 crore that was seized on March 3 by the DRI on the Bengaluru airport).
The actress is alleged to have handed over the contraband to a hawala supplier, Sahil Jain, 27, who paid for the consignments by way of hawala transfers of funds to Dubai and India. The DRI arrested Jain on March 26 after he was allegedly recognized because the meant recipient of the 14.2 kg of gold smuggled from Dubai by Ranya, in affiliation with Telugu actor Tarun Konduru Raju, whose US passport was allegedly used to cross gold by way of the Dubai airport Customs checks. Jain’s uncle Bharat has additionally been arrested within the case.
All of the accused are a part of a classy smuggling community working in India and overseas, the DRI has alleged.
Story continues under this advert
Although Ranya and Raju have been granted bail within the smuggling case, they’ve been detained, together with Sahil Jain, for a 12 months underneath the Conservation of Overseas Change and Prevention of Smuggling Actions Act by way of an April 22 order of the Indian authorities.