Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case: Stepfather Ramachandra Rao Back as DGP After 5 Months
Nearly five months after being sent on compulsory leave following the arrest of his stepdaughter in a gold smuggling case, senior IPS officer K. Ramachandra Rao has been appointed Director General of Police (DGP) for the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE).
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Rao’s stepdaughter, actress Ranya Rao (34), on March 3, 2025, for allegedly smuggling gold from Dubai. She was reportedly caught with 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars valued at ₹12.56 crore.
Investigations revealed that Ranya Rao had allegedly been misusing police escorts to bypass Customs checks and exit the airport. A protocol officer at Kempegowda Airport Police Station told the DRI that he facilitated the actor’s movements under specific instructions from DGP Rao.
An inquiry committee set up by the State government questioned Rao in March to probe his role in the case. At the time, he was serving as Managing Director of the Karnataka Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation before being placed on compulsory leave.
Rao has denied any wrongdoing, describing himself as a “heartbroken parent.”
In a recent development, the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Advisory Board sentenced Ranya Rao and two co-accused, Tarun Kondaru Raju and Sahil Jain, to one year in prison. The order, served by the DRI on May 23, also barred the trio from seeking bail during this period.
