Bengaluru: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has made a second arrest in the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, while the Special Court has remanded Ranya Rao to judicial custody till March 24.
Ranya Rao was in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for three days. She was produced before the court Monday following the ending of her custody with the DRI.
Ranya Rao broke down in the Economic Offences court, and the police took her to the Bengaluru Central Prison following the court order.
The actress alleged that she was undergoing trauma and broke down emotionally. The DRI counsel clarified to the court that the entire proceedings of questioning of the actress were video recorded.
On the other hand, the DRI sleuths arrested Tarun Raju, a son of a hotel industrialist, in the gold smuggling case.
The accused Tarun Raju was produced before the Economic Offences Court Monday and the court has remanded him to the custody of the DRI for five days.
The preliminary investigations have revealed that Tarun Rao is an old friend of Ranya Rao, and they have known each other for many years. Tarun Rao is also accused of travelling to Dubai with Ranya Rao many times.
Sources stated that Tarun Raju used to get gold from Ranya Rao smuggled to India from Dubai.
The DRI has informed the court that so far it has been ascertained that Rs 12. 56 crore worth gold has been smuggled and also stated that Ranya Rao is one of the kingpins in the gold smuggling racket, sources stated.
The DRI is also retrieving the mobile data to ascertain the involvement of big fish in the society and also to gather information on how the police protocol was misused in gold smuggling by Ranya Rao.
Sources stated that the DRI sleuths have found the numbers of serving and former ministers and she was in touch with influential persons. The numbers of top level officials have also been found in her mobile. The DRI is getting the CDR details.
The DRI sleuths have also seized a laptop belonging to Ranya Rao, and they are retrieving the data from the device, sources said.
The issue was raised in the Legislative Session by the BJP, and the party has alleged the involvement of two ministers.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara maintained that there is no connection with the state police department and the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case. If there is any involvement of the state police in the case, the CBI which has taken up the case for investigation will find it in its investigation.
The DRI officials arrested Ranya Rao after seizing 14.8 kg of gold from her at the Bengaluru International Airport last Monday night.
The agency seized Rs 2.06 crore worth of gold and Rs 2.67 crore in cash from her upscale Lavelle Road flat, where she reportedly paid Rs 4.5 lakh in rent.
Karnataka DGP for Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, K. Ramachandra Rao, responding to the development of the arrest of his step-daughter, actress Ranya Rao, stated Thursday that he was devastated and caught unaware by this development.
IANS
