Kannada actress Ranya Rao, recognized for her performances in films such as 'Maanikya' and 'Pataki,' was apprehended by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3, 2025, in Bengaluru. She is the stepdaughter of Dr. K Ramachandra Rao, the Director General of Police (DGP) of Karnataka, who has chosen to distance himself from the situation.

In a statement to the Times of India, DGP Rao asserted that he has no involvement in his daughter's affairs. "She married four months ago and has not visited us since. We are not aware of her or her husband's business activities. This news has come as a significant shock and disappointment. The legal process will proceed accordingly," he remarked.

What is the row about?

DRI officials, having received information regarding her alleged involvement in gold smuggling, deployed a team at the airport before her arrival.

Upon her flight's landing, she was apprehended and taken into custody by the DRI. On March 4, 2025, Ranya appeared before a special court judge concerning financial offences, where she was remanded into judicial custody until March 18, 2025.

Before her custody transfer, Ranya underwent a medical examination at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. During the interrogation, she asserted that her trip to Dubai was for business reasons. However, DRI officials contend that she had a substantial quantity of gold intended for smuggling into India.

The DRI reports that the gold found in her possession weighed a total of 14.8 kilograms. Currently, Ranya remains in judicial custody as the DRI continues its investigation into the matter.

This arrest follows allegations of her involvement in smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold from Dubai into India. In response to the situation, Congress MLA and Legal Advisor to the Karnataka Chief Minister, AS Ponnanna, commented on the arrest.

Ponnanna emphasized that Ranya is being treated like any other suspect, stating, "She is accused of indulging in smuggling. The law will take its course, whether she is the DGP's, the CM's or the Prime Minister's daughter...If there is any official nexus involved in this, it will come out in the investigation."

Who is Ranya?

Ranya, hailing from Chikmagalur in Karnataka, pursued her engineering studies at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before embarking on a career in the film industry, as noted by the Times of India.

She made her acting debut in 2014 with the Kannada film *Maanikya*, which was directed by and featured Sudeep, where she took on the role of Manasa, a wealthy young woman and the romantic interest of the protagonist.

In 2016, she broadened her career by entering the Tamil film industry with the romantic drama *Wagah*, in which she starred alongside Vikram Prabhu. The subsequent year, she made a return to Kannada cinema with the comedy *Pataki*, portraying Sangeetha, a journalist and the love interest of Ganesh’s character.

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