Karnataka Govt to Act After DRI Probe in Gold Case

BENGALURU: Karnataka Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwar on Wednesday stated the State police, will wait for the sleuths of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to complete their investigation before State police initiate steps over the alleged gold smuggle case by actress Ranya Rao (33) caught at Kempe Gowda International Airport (KIA) near Bengaluru city arriving from Dubai on March 2.

She was caught with a gold weighing 14. 8 kgs estimated at Rs 12 crore by DRI sleuths at the Kempegowda International Airport. She was taken into the custody of DRI and was produced before the Special Court for Economic Offences on March 3 and the Court remanded to 14-days police custody.

However, the Home Minister said, he discussed the matter with DGP and asked him to get information on the alleged gold smuggling case by the actress who is the daughter of senior IPS officer K. Ramachandra Rao currently serving as Director-General of Police Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation.

“DRI is a Central agency. Had it been a State agency/police then we would have got more information of the alleged gold smuggling case involving the actress,” he said.

“Investigations are on by the sleuths of DRI and until and unless they come out with definite information on the alleged gold smuggling case, I cannot react on it,” Parameshwar said and stated “It will be speculative to comment before the investigation from DRI is completed.”

Ranya Rao made her debut in Kannada movie ‘Manikya’ released in 2014 opposite actor Sudeep and the film was a hit. Her other Kannada movie was opposite actor Ganesh in the movie ‘Pataki’ released in 2017. She acted in a Tamil movie Wagah released in 2016.