ED attaches assets worth over Rs 34 crore of Kannada actor Ranya Rao
New Delhi/Bengaluru, Jul 4 (PTI): Assets worth more than Rs 34 crore of Kannada actor Ranya Rao have been attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a gold smuggling-linked money-laundering case, officials said on Friday.
A residential house in Victoria Layout and a residential plot in Arkavathi Layout in Bengaluru, an industrial land in Tumkur and an agricultural land in Anekal taluk have been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they added.
These assets have a combined fair market value of Rs 34.12 crore, the officials said.
The federal probe agency had filed a PMLA case, taking cognisance of a CBI and DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) complaint into a larger gold-smuggling racket in India, including the case of Rao.
Rao, whose original name is Harshavardini Ranya, was arrested on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after she arrived from Dubai. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and recovered 14.2 kg of gold bars valued at more than Rs 12.56 crore from her possession.
The actor's "involvement" in generating, possessing and circulating proceeds of crime was further corroborated by her digital footprint, including invoices, export declarations, foreign-remittance records and recorded chats, establishing her active role in the smuggling syndicate, the officials said.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
