The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested 31-year-old Kannada actress Ranya Rao at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kg of gold. Authorities took her into custody upon her arrival from Dubai, sparking controversy.
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Ranya Rao, originally from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, pursued engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before entering the film industry, as reported by the Times of India. She debuted in 2014 with the Kannada movie Maanikya, where director and lead actor Sudeep cast her as Manasa, a wealthy young woman and the protagonist’s love interest.
Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Arrested in Gold Smuggling Case: Career, Allegations, and Legal Action
Expanding her career beyond Kannada cinema, Ranya entered the Tamil film industry in 2016 with Wagah, starring opposite Vikram Prabhu in a romantic drama. In 2017, she returned to Kannada films with Pataki, where she played Sangeetha, a journalist and the love interest of actor Ganesh’s character.
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Following her arrest on Monday night, authorities presented Ranya Rao before an economic offences court, which remanded her to 14 days in judicial custody.
Officials stated that Rao arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and remained under surveillance due to her frequent international travel. Investigators revealed that she allegedly smuggled the gold by wearing a significant portion of it and hiding gold bars in her clothing.
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