Arrest of Kannada actress Ranya Rao reveals she strapped 14 gold bars to thighs to avoid detection at airport

Kannada film actress Ranya Rao, who was nabbed at the Bengaluru International Airport on March 3 on charges of smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.86 crore, had allegedly strapped 14 gold bars on her thighs with tape and bandages in an attempt to avoid detection by Customs officials, sources familiar with the investigation say.

Rao (33), the stepdaughter of a senior DGP-rank IPS officer in Karnataka, was arrested by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), who had information of her arrival, allegedly with the contraband, at the airport.

While there has been speculation that the gold consignment was smuggled in a jacket Rao wore, the DRI has indicated that the gold was found on the actress during a physical check. “Upon examination, gold bars weighing 14.2 kg were found ingeniously concealed on (her) person,” the DRI said in an official statement on the arrest of Rao, who had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight on March 3.

Rao had allegedly strapped 14 gold bars, each weighing 1 kg, on her thighs with tape and crepe bandages and then wore pants to conceal them, sources said.

The DRI, which called it “one of the biggest seizures of gold at Bengaluru International airport in recent times”, is probing whether Rao has carried consignments in a similar manner earlier.

According to sources, her frequent travel to Dubai and Malaysia in recent months, within short intervals of five to 10 days, had aroused the suspicion of the DRI and eventually led to intelligence inputs on the arrival of a large gold consignment on March 3.

She reportedly used VIP channels to exit the Bengaluru airport on her arrival on international flights, with a protocol official being on hand to receive her and ensure smooth passage without the extensive checks done on regular passengers.

On her arrival at the Bengaluru International Airport on Monday, Rao was accompanied by her architect husband, whom she had married four months ago.

Rao’s stepfather, a senior IPS officer, has distanced himself from her, claiming that she had not been in contact for over four months since her wedding.

“Ranya and her husband got married in 2024, and since then, they have maintained complete independence and privacy. She stopped visiting the family home, and we were also not given opportunities to visit them in their new home, resulting in a clear and definitive separation between us and them,” said an unsigned statement attributed to the IPS officer.

However, Rao and her husband had attended the wedding of the police officer’s stepson in February in Bengaluru.

Following Rao’s arrest, a search by DRI officials at her residence led to the seizure of jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash. The total seizure in the case stands at Rs 17.29 crore, according to the DRI.

“The lady passenger has been placed under arrest under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody,” the DRI said.

Rao, who was remanded to judicial custody until March 18 by a special court for economic offences, is expected to seek bail on Thursday.

Rao entered the Kannada film industry in 2014 when she was 22 and played the lead role in three films.

Several years ago, her stepfather was transferred following a suspicious robbery of cash and gold being transported to Kerala from Karnataka on a bus, though no official or legal action was initiated against him.

Last year, his stepson was questioned by a Karnataka Police special investigation team over his alleged association with international hacker Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki as part of investigations into the hacker’s transactions. The DGP’s stepson married the daughter of a renowned former Kannada film actress-turned-politician last month.

On Thursday, the DRI filed a plea in a special court for economic offences, seeking custody of the actress for three days starting March 9. The DRI also placed a copy of a statement obtained from Rao to indicate the need for custodial interrogation.

The DRI told the court that Rao travelled to Dubai 27 times in the last six months, and the purpose of these visits requires further investigation.

The advocate for the actress opposed the plea, saying the DRI had already seized electronic gadgets and other material required for its investigations.

The court posted the DRI request for custody for March 7 and postponed the hearing of a bail plea filed by the actress.