5 key revelations by police after arresting actor Ranya Rao for alleged gold smuggling

Kannada actress Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation’s Director General of Police (DGP) Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday night, March 3, upon her arrival from Dubai on an Emirates flight.

Acting on a tip-off regarding her suspected involvement in gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) deployed a team at the airport before her arrival. She was taken into custody immediately after landing.

Ranya Rao, known for her performances in films like Maanikya and Pataki, was apprehended by the DRI in Bengaluru.

The following day she was presented before a special court for financial offences, which remanded her to judicial custody until March 18, 2025. Before being placed in custody, she underwent a medical check-up at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Ramachandra Rao distanced himself from the incident, stating, “The law will do its job. There is no black mark on my career.” He asserted that he had no prior knowledge of Ranya’s alleged involvement in smuggling and only learned about her arrest through media reports.

5 key revelations about the Kannada actress by police

Officials said that 14.8 kg of gold was confiscated from Ranya Rao, making it one of the largest gold seizures at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in recent years. The ministry of finance, in an official statement, confirmed that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a passenger attempting to smuggle foreign-origin gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore. The total seizure in the case amounted to ₹17.29 crore, including assets worth ₹4.73 crore, delivering a significant setback to organised gold smuggling networks.

According to the police, during questioning, Ranya Rao claimed that her trip to Dubai was for business purposes. However, DRI officials allege that she was carrying a substantial quantity of gold intended for smuggling into India. She remains in judicial custody as the investigation continues.

Ranya Rao, who married Jatin Hukkeri in a grand ceremony at Taj West End a few months ago, came under scrutiny after making four trips to Dubai within 15 days. DRI officials had been monitoring her movements due to her frequent international travel alongside her husband Hukkeri, a well-known architect, despite no apparent professional or family ties overseas. “She has travelled to Dubai 30 times in the past year, which we believe was part of his smuggling operations. She evaded strict checks and often received police escorts to bypass airport security checks,” said an official familiar with the investigation who asked not to be named.

Revenue intelligence officers observed a recurring pattern in her trips and suspected a link to gold smuggling activities. According to a report by HT, investigators believe that Rao may have used her father’s influence to bypass customs checks.

During interrogation, she claimed she was forced into smuggling gold. Rao was arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, and investigations are underway to determine any connections to a larger smuggling network. On each trip, she allegedly transported several kilograms of gold. As per sources cited by India Today, she was paid ₹1 lakh per kilogram, reportedly earning around ₹12-13 lakh per trip.