The gold smuggling case allegedly involving Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has taken an intriguing turn with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arresting Tarun K. Raju, her friend from a business family of Bangalore. The arrest of Raju came amid promises by Karnataka home minister G. Parameshwara that the Congress government would initiate a probe into the alleged misuse of police protocol services at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore.
Ranya, daughter of DGP-rank official Ramachandra Rao, was being escorted by a state police constable while walking out of the airport last week with over 14 kg. of gold strapped to her body when she was intercepted by DRI sleuths.
Ranya was produced before a special court on March 10 by DRI officials. She was remanded to judicial custody till March 24. Asked by the judge if she had been mistreated during her three-day custody with the DRI, the actress began to sob inconsolably. “They (DRI) haven’t harassed me physically but they verbally threatened during interrogation,” she replied. A DRI official claimed that the actress was attempting to describe questioning as harassment.
