With three central agencies — Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) — now investigating the gold smuggling case involving Kannada film actress Ranya Rao, the Karnataka government on March 15 ordered DGP (Karnataka Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao, her father, to go on ‘compulsory leave’.
Ranya was reportedly being escorted by a police constable deployed for protocol services extended to IPS officers when she was arrested at Bangalore airport while trying to smuggle 14.2 kg. gold from Dubai on March 3.
Ramachandra Rao was asked to go on leave in a bid to avoid any possible embarrassment, what with the CBI and the ED also now on the DRI case, citing national security concerns.
Meanwhile, Ranya has written to DRI’s additional director general, through the chief superintendent of Bangalore Central Prison, ruling out her father’s involvement in the gold smuggling case, and claiming that she was being falsely implicated. In the five-page letter, dated March 6, Ranya alleged that she was roughed up and threatened. “I was apprehended from inside the aircraft and was arrested without being given an opportunity to explain. From the time of my apprehension to being produced in court, I was hit and slapped on the face at least 10-15 times by officials whom I can identify. One of them said, if I didn’t sign the documents prepared by them, they would expose my father’s name and identity, despite knowing, he was not involved,” the letter stated. She added, “Some persons from Delhi, said to be officers, clearly wanted to shield some other passengers and falsely implicated me.”