Ranya Rao’s IPS father to be probed after protocol violation at airport

The Karnataka government has ordered an investigation into the role of former police officer Ramachandra Rao in the gold smuggling case involving his stepdaughter, actor Ranya Rao.

Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta will lead the probe to determine whether the Director General of Police (DGP)-rank officer had any involvement in the illegal activities, reports news agency PTI.

The team will also probe the alleged misuse of protocol and privileges by the actor while bypassing security checks while smuggling gold.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAD) in Bengaluru on March 3, with 14.8 kilograms of gold, estimated to be worth ₹12.56 crore. Authorities allege that she smuggled the gold from Dubai. The arrest was based on a tip-off, prompting officials to station a team at the airport to monitor her arrival.

Following her arrest, a raid at Ranya Rao’s Lavelle Road apartment led to the recovery of additional quantities of gold. Investigators suspect that she took advantage of her relationship with her stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, to bypass scrutiny at customs. Reports indicate that she made four trips to Dubai within a span of 15 days, raising suspicions about her involvement in a larger smuggling network.

Ranya Rao was produced before a special court for financial offences on March 4, where she was remanded to judicial custody until March 18.

During the court proceedings, she claimed that she had been verbally harassed by DRI officials during her three-day interrogation. However, the DRI refuted these allegations, stating that all questioning was conducted in the presence of legal counsel and that CCTV footage could substantiate their claims.

Who is Ramachandra Rao?

Meanwhile, Ramachandra Rao, who serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, has distanced himself from his stepdaughter. “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.

Rao, a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was promoted to the rank of DGP in September 2023. His past tenure has been marred by controversy, including an alleged money seizure case in 2014 when he served as Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Southern Range. At the time, police claimed to have confiscated ₹20 lakh from a private bus in Mysuru, but the merchants transporting the cash alleged that the actual amount was ₹2.27 crore and accused the police of misappropriation.