Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: Karnataka govt orders investigation, actress' friend now in custody

The Karnataka government on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the alleged gold smuggling by Kannada actress Ranya Rao. State's Additional Chief Secretary, Gaurav Gupta will lead the investigation.

Further, an investigation was also ordered into the role of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao. The report is to be submitted within a week.

Meanwhile, Rao's friend, Tarun Konduraju, who was accompanying her in Dubai, has also been taken into custody by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).


On Monday, Rao was sent to judicial custody for six days. The actress was in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for three days for interrogation.

The DRI has said it seized gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from Rao at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

Rao is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao. The DGP-rank officer is currently serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

The arrest has now become political as the ruling Congress and opposing BJP have accused each other of involvement in the case.

The BJP has alleged that an influential minister in the Karnataka government is shielding Rao. In response, the Congress has accused the BJP of allotting 12 acres of land to her for a steel plant during its tenure.

BJP Karnataka president B Y Vijayendra, in a post on ‘X’, said, “Media reports about the involvement of a prominent minister in @siddaramaiah's government in one of the biggest gold heists in recent times come as no surprise—especially given this government's track record of churning out scandals in increasingly ‘innovative’ ways!”

He further accused the government of violating protocols leading to the smuggling, adding that it could not have been possible without the support of influential figures. He warned that any attempt to shield those responsible would backfire, especially with the CBI now involved.

State Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that an investigation was underway and that the truth would emerge. “Until the investigation concludes, we cannot say anything. Neither me nor the government can offer any such feedback,” he told reporters on Monday.