Kannada actor Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, reportedly confessed to smuggling gold at the Bengaluru airport, from where she was arrested on Monday night.
Her stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, the Director-General of Police for the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, has denied any involvement in the case as the matter triggered massive public and political discussion, with preliminary investigations suggesting that the actress may have attempted to use her connections to bypass customs checks.
Ranya Rao’s top confessions:
17 gold bars: Ranya Rao admitted that “17 gold bars” were found on her during her arrest. In a leaked statement cited in an NDTV report, Ranya Rao also disclosed details of her international travels, which included trips to the Middle East, Dubai, and several Western countries.
‘I’m tired’: Ranya Rao said in her statement, “I have travelled to Europe, America, and (the) Middle East and have visited Dubai, Saudi Arabia. I wish to state that I am tired at present as I did not get enough rest”.
Ranya Rao reveals family background: In her statement, Ranya Rao revealed her family background, stating that her father is real estate businessman KS Hegdesh, and her husband, Jatin Hukkeri, is an architect.
Ranya Rao vows to cooperate in probe, refuses food: Ranya Rao also said she was willing to cooperate with the investigation while remaining in judicial custody until the next hearing. Ranya Rao suggested in her statement that her trial was fair, adding that her confession was made voluntarily and without any coercion. She also mentioned that food was offered to her periodically, but she declined as she was not hungry.
Ranya’s frequent travels raised suspicions, with reports revealing she made 27 trips to Dubai in the past year, prompting the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to keep her activities on radar. Authorities arrested her on Monday night at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after seizing over 14 kilograms of gold, worth ₹14.56 crore, one of the largest gold seizures in recent times in the city.
Investigators suspect Ranya Rao was involved in a smuggling network, where she took hefty commissions to smuggle gold from Dubai to Bengaluru, allegedly earning ₹4-5 lakh for each kilogram of gold. Ranya concealed some of the gold by wearing it and hiding the rest in her clothing.
Following her arrest, officials raided her home and recovered more gold jewelry valued at over ₹2 crore and about ₹2.67 crore in Indian currency.
