Gold smuggling: Karnataka CM orders probe into DGP's role

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday ordered a high-level investigation into the role of DGP Ramachandra Rao in the gold smuggling case involving his stepdaughter, actor Ranya Rao, abusing the policemen on protocol duty.

The CM said Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta will probe the DGP's role after reports emerged that the 31-year-old film star routinely used policemen to escort her at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on arrival from her overseas trips and drove in official vehicles. On the day of her arrest by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials at the airport, on March 3, too, policemen were waiting to escort her out and an official vehicle waited to take her home, according to reports. The actor had 17 bars of gold strapped on her body when the DRI officials took her into custody. She had made about 30 trips to Dubai in recent weeks, raising suspicions among the DRI officials about the purpose of these visits.