Ranya Rao case: Karnataka govt withdraws compulsory leave imposed on IPS officer Ramachandra Rao
Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday appointed senior IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao as the DGP for Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, withdrawing the compulsory leave imposed on him following the arrest of his stepdaughter and actress Ranya Rao in connection with a gold smuggling case.
Prior to this new role, he served as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation.
"The order of compulsory leave with respect to Dr K Ramachandra Rao, IPS (KN 1993) is hereby withdrawn and the officer is posted with immediate effect and until further orders as Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement in the upgraded vacant post," a government order said.
The post of Director General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement is declared equivalent in status and responsibilities to the cadre post of Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Special Units & Economic offences, Bengaluru under Rule 12 of IPS (Pay) Rules 2016 as included in Schedule Il of the said rule, it said.
Rao was sent on compulsory leave in March.
Ranya Rao (34) was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 upon her arrival at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai, and gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized from her.
The next day, the DRI said it seized gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and cash amounting to Rs 2.67 from her residence in Bengaluru.
Ranya Rao was accused of misusing police escorts, provided to her in violation of rules, allegedly to evade Custom checks and checkout of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
The Karnataka government had formed a committee to probe the role of Ramachandra Rao, if any, in the alleged gold smuggling activity of his step daughter.
He had appeared before the Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta-led committee for questioning.
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Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
