CBI registers FIR in Ranya Rao's gold smuggling case

BENGALURU: The Central Bureau of Investigation, New Delhi on Saturday registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, currently in the custody of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the sleuths would arrive in Bengaluru to question the actress over her role in alleged gold smuggling case to dig deeper into the network operating and unearth the nexus of those involved in it.

After the successful interception of Ranya Rao, DRI officials informed the CBI about the gold smuggling case. By stepping into the gold smuggling case, CBI sleuths are all set to bring under its probe Delhi, Mumbai among other cities to gather information on the gold smuggling network, if any. However, DRI officials stated “the haul of 14.2 kg of gold in KIA marks a significant blow to organized gold smuggling networks.”

Before her interception, sources said Ranya Rao used protocols given to bureaucrats to escape from physical examination at the airport. A cop reportedly escorted the actress from the airport on her arrival and would drop her home in a government car. It is said the actress travelled to Dubai from Bengaluru at least four times in a fortnight leading to suspicion and acting on specific inputs, DRI officials successfully intercepted her with the smuggled gold bars.

After her arrest by DRI officials, Ranya Rao moved the Special Court for Economic Offences, Bengaluru seeking bail while DRI officials sought her 3-days custody to know her involvement and the network behind her, if any. The Special Court for Economic Offences gave 3-days custody of Ranya Rao to DRI.

Bengaluru-based Ranya Rao, daughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, was caught by DRI officials on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport near Bengaluru city and the officials and recovered foreign-origin gold bars from her weighing 14.2 kg and valued at Rs 12.56 crore. The actress landed at KIA from Dubai before she was intercepted by the DRI officials.

The actress had ingeniously concealed on herself before they were seized by the DRI officials under Customs Act, 1962 and she was arrested also under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962.