Kannada actress Ranya Rao admits to possession of 17 gold bars: DRI
Bengaluru, Mar 7 (PTI): Kannada actress Ranya Rao has confessed to the recovery of 17 gold bars from her possession, sources in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 by DRI officials.
Rao is currently serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
According to officials, she disclosed that she had travelled to Europe, America, and the Middle East, including Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
She stated that she is the daughter of K S Hegdesh, a businessman in the real estate sector.
Ranya also revealed that she studied up to the 12th standard and has worked as a film artiste and a wildlife photographer.
The actress said she lives with her husband, Jatin Hukkeri, an architect, in Bengaluru.
On Friday, a special court for economic offences granted the DRI three days’ custody of the actress, who was detained at Bengaluru airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai.
Investigators revealed that Ranya (identified in her passport as Harshavardini Ranya) had travelled to Dubai 27 times in the last six months, raising concerns about the purpose of these frequent visits.
According to DRI officials, gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized from the 34-year-old actress at the airport. Subsequent searches at her residence led to the recovery of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.
The total seizure in the case stood at Rs 17.29 crore, including assets worth Rs 4.73 crore, marking a significant blow to organised gold smuggling networks.
Officials claimed that the 14.2 kg haul is one of the largest gold seizures at Bengaluru airport in recent times.
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Bengaluru (PTI):Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday urged Congress legislators to maintain party discipline amid their visits to New Delhi to lobby for a cabinet reshuffle, cautioning against making public statements that could harm the party’s image.
Addressing reporters here, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, said there was nothing wrong in MLAs meeting the party high command but stressed that the timing and manner of their demands were important.
“Yes, all of them have gone. The Chief Minister has said something, but all of them should maintain discipline. Everyone must maintain party discipline. They must respect the party. They should not sit before the media and damage the party’s name,” Shivakumar said.
He added that everyone’s future lies in the party, not in the media.
"In the media, you may say whatever you want in your own way. So I appeal to all my MLAs that meeting party high command is not wrong, but if unnecessary statements are made, we will have to act.”
Responding to a query on whether MLAs had consulted him before leaving for Delhi, Shivakumar said some had approached him and were told there was nothing wrong in aspiring for ministerial positions.
“Some of them came and spoke to me, they asked me. I told them there is nothing wrong in going and asking (for ministerial position); it is not that you should not become ministers, nor that first-timers should not become ministers. First-timers can become ministers, second-timers can also become ministers—it has happened before,” he said.
However, he emphasised that the present moment was not appropriate for such demands.
“So we said there is nothing wrong, but this is not the time.”
The Deputy Chief Minister also indicated that he is awaiting formal inputs before taking any action. “Officially, I have asked for a report with various sections. Let me get the report, then I will act on it,” he said.
The remarks come a day after several senior Congress MLAs travelled to New Delhi to seek a cabinet reshuffle and press for ministerial berths, while first-time legislators have also stepped up their demand for representation.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said there was nothing wrong in aspirant legislators visiting Delhi, adding that the decision on cabinet reshuffle rests with the party high command and may have been delayed due to elections in five states and the Budget session.
The developments assume significance amid ongoing discussions within the ruling Congress over a possible cabinet rejig as the government has crossed the halfway mark of its tenure.
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