Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Accuses DRI of Custodial Torture in Gold Smuggling Case

Ranya Rao, arrested for allegedly smuggling gold worth ₹12.56 crore, claims she was assaulted and coerced into signing documents while in custody, as investigations expand into an international smuggling syndicate.

Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 at Bengaluru's Kempegowda Airport with 14.8 kg of gold allegedly concealed on her person, valued at ₹12.56 crore.
The actress alleges physical assault, denial of food and sleep, and coercion by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials to sign blank and typed documents.
Investigators claim Rao traveled to Dubai 27 times this year and used her stepfather's police connections to bypass airport security checks, raising suspicions of involvement in a larger smuggling network.
Ranya's stepfather, senior IPS officer K. Ramachandra Rao, has been placed on compulsory leave as the Karnataka government probes his potential role in the case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and DRI are investigating the case, which may be linked to a broader international gold smuggling syndicate involving hawala transactions.