Karnataka Government Withdraws CID Probe in Kannada Actor Ranya Rao’s Gold Smuggling Case:

The government of Karnataka has taken back its mandate for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to look into possible negligence by police at Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport concerning the gold smuggling allegations involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao's gold jewelry. This was done on the 14th of June, 2023.

This follows the reporting of a high profile 14 kg gold smuggling case that grabbed attention recently, and which, for reasons still unclear, the CBI took control of. This was done two days prior to the order being given, thus creating a stir.

For reasons suggesting that the CID investigation was being canceled due to the presence of ongoing probes led by senior IAS officer Gaurav Gupta, this statement was made by a state government spokesperson to News18.

Gupta had previously been tasked to look into the breach of protocol cases involving Ranya Rao while she boarded the airplane and examine whether her DGP father, K Ramachandra Rao, actually had any influence in the gold scam.

Ranya Rao was apprehended on the third of March at her Bengaluru international airport, where it’s alleged she secretively placed fourteen kilograms of gold on her person, hidden under her clothes and disguised with bandages. After facing interrogation by the state police, she was placed under judicial custody for two weeks.

On Wednesday, DRI, the Director of Revenue Intelligence, opposed bail for Rao claiming that she is a flight risk. The DRI further claimed in a statement reported by News18, “We oppose the bail and submit that to grant bail to her is likely to impede the ongoing investigation and she can destroy the evidence or influence the witnesses."

On the other hand, Kiran Javali, Rao’s lawyer, claimed that the probe agency did not follow legal norms while arresting and questioning her. He also claimed that in his view, these procedural shortcomings, while serious, are in themselves enough to grant bail irrespective of quite serious allegations.

Furthermore, in court, a DRI counsel claimed, “There are reasons to suspect her having indulged in hawala transactions. We want to know who the seized money pertains to. There appears to be some international syndicate. This matter is being investigated by multiple agencies. Everything has to be looked into."

The court has yet to rule on Rao’s bail request and plans to do so on the fourteenth of March, for now Rao must stay in judicial custody until the twenty-fourth of March.