Karnataka To Investigate Ranya Rao's DGP-Rank Stepfather In Gold Smuggling Case; Another Accomplice From Business Family Arrested

The Karnataka government has launched an investigation into the alleged involvement of senior police officer Ramachandra Rao in a gold smuggling case linked to his stepdaughter, Kannada actor Ranya Rao.

The probe, led by Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, will examine whether the Director General of Police (DGP)-rank officer played any role in facilitating the illegal trade, Hindustan Times reported.

DGP Ramachandra Rao, who serves as Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation, has distanced himself from the controversy. "I have no connection to my daughter’s activities. She got married four months ago and hasn’t been in touch with us since. The law will take its own course," he stated.

His career, however, has not been without controversy. In 2014, while serving as Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Southern Range, he was accused of misappropriating funds in a money seizure case.

Meanwhile, as part of its ongoing probe, the DRI arrested Tarun Konduru Raju, a businessman allegedly linked to the gold smuggling syndicate, Indian Express reported.

The Case So Far

On 3 March, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, after she was caught smuggling 14.8 kg of gold, valued at Rs 12.56 crore, allegedly brought in from Dubai. Officials acted on a tip-off, closely monitoring her arrival before detaining her.

A subsequent raid at her Lavelle Road apartment led to the recovery of more gold. Investigators suspect that Rao used her stepfather’s influence to bypass security checks at customs. Reports indicate she traveled to Dubai four times in just 15 days, raising suspicions about her role in a larger gold smuggling syndicate.

Ranya Rao was presented before a special financial offenses court on 4 March and was remanded to judicial custody until 18 March. During the proceedings, she alleged that she was verbally harassed by DRI officials during questioning. However, the agency denied the claim, stating that all interrogations were conducted in the presence of legal counsel, with CCTV footage available to support their stance.