The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested Tarun Raju, the grandson of Atria Hotel’s owner, in connection with a gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao. His arrest followed the detention of Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport, where officials seized gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from her possession.
According to reports, investigators found Raju’s involvement in the smuggling operation, leading to his detention. He was later presented before the special economic offences court in Bengaluru, which granted the DRI five days of custody for further interrogation. Authorities suspect that both Raju and Ranya were part of an organized gold smuggling network, illegally importing gold from foreign countries.
Despite their reported fallout after Ranya’s marriage to architect Jatin Hukkeri, sources claim that the two continued their unlawful activities. Officials discovered that Ranya had been in contact with Raju during her gold smuggling operations from Dubai, a critical lead that resulted in his arrest. While Ranya was already in custody, Raju was detained two days ago, and both were interrogated together to uncover the extent of their involvement.
Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation’s director general of police, Ramachandra Rao, has reportedly confessed to her role in the smuggling scheme. During the DRI’s inquiry, a search of her residence led to the recovery of gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to ₹2.67 crore.
In a recent court hearing, Ranya alleged that DRI officials “verbally abused” her when she refused to answer their questions. However, the investigating officer (IO) denied these accusations, assuring the judge that no harassment had taken place. In response, the judge asked, “You were given 30 minutes to consult your lawyer. Why didn’t you inform them? Why didn’t they file a petition about this?”
Ranya further claimed that she was coerced into signing documents, stating, “I have fully cooperated with the investigation. I refused to sign only on the third day, but after that, I cooperated.”
As the investigation progresses, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta has been tasked with probing the potential involvement of DGP-level officer Ramachandra Rao in the gold smuggling case.
