Kannada actress Ranya Rao was nabbed in Bengaluru Airport while she was smuggling gold from Dubai. The officials started tracing her moves because of her frequent visits to Dubai from the past one year. She was allegedly attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold worth over Rs 12.56 crore from Dubai after which she was arrested. A viral image of the actress with swollen eyes and bruises on face started circulating on social media. Ranya Rao confessed to the crime before the officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) during the investigation. Apart from Dubai, she also travelled to Europe, America and the Middle East. The total seizure in the case amounted to Rs 17.29 crore.

The officials are investigating if there is a political link involved. Ranya is the stepdaughter of a senior DGP-rank IPS officer in Karnataka. A special court for economic offenses in Bengaluru granted actor Ranya Rao’s custody to the DRI until 4 pm on March 10th. After the judgement was out, Ranya Rao turned emotional and broke down in the court. The officials are examining her past travel records to trace any possible links to gold smuggling networks. The actress revealed that she was undergoing mental trauma and was unable to sleep. During the investigation, Ranya Rao said that she was a freelancer in real estate in Dubai and had to make frequent visits.

DGP K Ramachandra Rao, her stepfather is the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. Ranya’s husband Jatin Hukkeri, an architect, is currently under scrutiny. He has designed various pubs and microbreweries. The cops kept a trace on his recent transactions and travel records.