Kannada actress Ranya Rao jailed in Gold smuggling case; Rs 2.5 crore cash seized in Bengaluru house raid

Kannada actress Ranya Rao has landed in serious trouble after being arrested in a gold smuggling case. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) detained her at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday evening, uncovering 14.8 kg of gold worth ₹12 crore hidden in a leather jacket she was wearing. Following the arrest, a raid at her Bengaluru apartment led to the discovery of ₹2.5 crore in cash, raising further concerns about her involvement in illegal activities.  

Ranya, who is the stepdaughter of Karnataka State Police Home Board Managing Director and DGP Ramachandra Rao, arrived at KIA from Dubai along with her husband, Jitin Hukkeri. Both were taken into custody by DRI officials. After thorough questioning, she was subjected to a medical check-up at Bowring Hospital and later produced before the court, which sent her to 14 days of judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.  

'Law applies to all': DGP distances himself after daughter Ranya Rao's arrest for smuggling 14kg gold

As investigations deepened, DRI officials searched Ranya’s luxury apartment on Lavelle Road in Bengaluru. They found ₹2.7 crore in cash and designer gold ornaments worth ₹2.1 crore. This took the total seized assets from her case to ₹17.3 crore.  

Sources revealed that the expensive ornaments were purchased from a high-end jewellery boutique in the city’s central business district. The DRI is now probing whether a prominent politician was involved in financing these jewellery purchases. Officials are also tracing the financial transactions to understand how the payments were routed.  

The authorities had been keeping an eye on Ranya’s movements for a while. She had been traveling frequently to Dubai and Malaysia over the past year. Interestingly, her visits were not linked to any known business or family connections in these countries.  

Ranya was reportedly involved in a heated argument with customs officials at the airport during a prior inspection. She allegedly used her connection to the DGP to bypass security checks. Sources claim that a head constable named Basavaraj from the airport police station used to escort her out without any inspections. Following this, DRI officials began closely monitoring her international travels, leading to her eventual arrest.  

DGP Ramachandra Rao, a senior IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh, distanced himself from Ranya’s actions. Speaking to a news agency, he expressed his shock over the allegations, saying, “Like any father, I was devastated when I learned about this through the media. She has been living separately with her husband, and I did not know about her activities.”  

Who is Ranya Rao? Kannada actress arrested for smuggling gold from Dubai

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that the state government had not received any official information from the DRI. “This is a central agency’s investigation, and we cannot comment until they complete their probe and submit a report,” he said.  

The DRI has booked Ranya under the Customs Act, 1962. Investigators are now focusing on identifying the intended recipients of the smuggled gold. Additionally, they plan to question her husband, Jitin Hukkeri, and other close associates.