Actress Ranya Rao sent to judicial custody until March 24 in gold smuggling case

Bengaluru: Kannada actress Ranya Rao has been sent to judicial custody until March 24 after being arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on charges of gold smuggling. Ranya, who has acted in films like Manikya and Pataki, was taken into custody at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday night.  

Ranya, who is the stepdaughter of Director General of Police (DGP) Ramachandra Rao (Police Housing Corporation), was allegedly caught smuggling 14.8 kg of gold. She was taken to a special court for economic offences, where she was remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.  

Officials said Ranya arrived in Bengaluru from Dubai on an Emirates flight when she was detained. Authorities had been monitoring her movements after noticing that she had traveled to Dubai four times in just 15 days. Suspecting illegal activities, they conducted a targeted operation upon her return.  

According to investigators, Ranya allegedly smuggled the gold by wearing a large amount as jewelry and hiding gold bars in her clothes. This led officials to intercept her at the airport and seize the contraband.  

Ranya Rao, originally from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, studied engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before entering the film industry. She gained popularity with her roles in Kannada films and was active in the entertainment industry.