Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: CM Siddaramaiah orders probe into DGP's role in extending protocol to accused daughter

Chief Minister 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 Rao'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 (DRI) 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.


She 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 back to back visits.

The CM's decision to order the probe comes as the state police are battling charges of having allowed their men and vehicles for an influential person to carry out an illegal activity.

The CBI has opened a case, and is investigating the gold smuggling racket and looking into the role of politicians in facilitating it. The DRI has also arrested Tarun Raju, grandson of a well-known businessman based in Bengaluru on charges of facilitating the gold purchase in Dubai for the actor.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra had called the case unprecedented as it involved such a large-scale gold smuggling operation and the daughter of a senior IPS officer.