Actor Ranya Rao has written a letter to the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) alleging that she was subjected to custodial torture and falsely implicated in a high-profile gold smuggling case.
Rao has claimed that she was arrested directly from the aircraft, contradicting the official statement that she was detained at the airport terminal.
Rao further alleges that she was physically assaulted, deprived of food and sleep, and coerced into signing blank documents under duress. Her accusations surfaced a day after a special court in Bengaluru denied her bail request.
Notably, the case took a political turn, with the Karnataka government ordering an inquiry into the alleged involvement of her stepfather, Karnataka Director General of Police K Ramachandra Rao, and examining possible lapses by law enforcement.
Ms Rao was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 for allegedly smuggling over 14 kg of gold from Dubai. However, in her letter from Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, she insists she was taken into custody inside the aircraft before disembarking, contradicting official reports.
The letter, submitted as part of a jail memo, details claims of mistreatment, including being slapped, threatened with exposure of her father’s identity, and forced to sign blank papers. She alleges that she is being framed to protect more influential figures in the smuggling network.
However, these claims raise questions. Ms Rao wrote the letter on March 6, but when presented in court on March 9, she denied experiencing custodial torture when asked three times by the judge. Her lawyers also did not bring up any allegations of mistreatment.
On Friday, the Special Court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru rejected Ms Rao’s bail plea. Special Judge Vishwanath C. Gowdar noted that Ms Rao, holding a UAE Resident Identity Card, had travelled to Dubai 27 times since January 2025, a factor that weighed against granting bail. The court emphasized the seriousness of the alleged offence, given the large quantity of smuggled gold and its economic implications.
Preliminary findings indicate that Ms Rao allegedly hid gold bars by taping them to her body, concealing them in her jeans pockets, and even placing them inside her shoes. The DRI estimates the evasion of customs duties and penalties at ₹4.83 crore, far exceeding the ₹50 lakh threshold under the Customs Act.
