BENGALURU: In the gold-smuggling case involving Kannada actor Ranya Rao, CBI has left the “accused” column blank in the FIR filed on Thursday, causing ripples in political and bureaucratic circles.
The omission gives the agency the flexibility to summon any individual, especially as Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) strongly suspects the involvement of a syndicate in the racket. DRI has documented a series of gold-smuggling cases, including two significant busts in quick succession, both pointing to a well-coordinated network operating between Dubai and India.
Opening a new front, Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money-laundering case in Delhi and raided Ranya’s Lavelle Road flat along with five other locations in Bengaluru on Thursday. “Assisted by their Bengaluru counterparts, ED officers raided offices linked to Ranya’s husband in Adugodi, Indiranagar, and Koramangala.
Several documents and electronic gadgets were seized during the day-long raid,” a source said. On Mar 6, two foreign nationals were arrested at Mumbai airport with 21.2 kg of gold worth 19 crore, just days after Ranya was caught smuggling 14.2 kg of gold into Bengaluru. Subsequent searches at her home led to further recoveries. The scale and frequency of these operations suggest an intricate network potentially involving foreign nationals and possibly high-ranking government officials.
The CBI’s probe, under sections 7 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act, has raised the stakes. The case could expose deep-rooted corruption within govt circles, particularly officials allegedly aiding such illegal activities.
