BENGALURU: Ranya Rao, the 33-year-old actress who was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 for allegedly smuggling gold, has claimed that she is innocent and is being falsely implicated as nothing was recovered from her.
In a letter to the Additional Director General (ADG) of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) purportedly written by Ranya on March 6 from the Bengaluru Central Prison, she stated that she was implicated in a false case to protect some other passengers. She further stated that no mahazar was drawn, as claimed, nor was her search conducted, and nothing was recovered from her.
The letter submitted to the DRI through the prison department has been making rounds a day after the Special Court for Economic Offences dismissed her bail plea. TNIE could not confirm the veracity of the letter. Bengaluru Central Prison's Chief Superintendent K Suresh on March 7 has sent the letter written by Ranya to the DRI.
In the four-page letter written in English, Ranya stated that she was apprehended by DRI officers inside the aircraft, and from that moment until she was produced before the court, she was slapped 10 to 15 times by officers she can identify.
She has further stated that due to immense pressure of stress and physical assault on her, she signed about 50 to 60 typed pages and around 40 blank white pages, only by force by the DRI officers. She has also accused the DRI officers of making her starve and not allowing her to sleep.
She has requested the ADG that no reliance be placed on any of the statements recorded during the period of her apprehension till she was produced in court.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing of the bail petition of Tarun Konduru Raju, a close associate of Ranya, to Monday.
Report will show if DGP, ministers have any role in case, says Dr G
Tarun Konduru Raju, a close associate of Ranya Rao, was arrested by DRI officers on Sunday. Raju’s advocates filed the bail petition on Friday and the court asked DRI officers to file objections to it on Saturday.
Agencies investigating the case have reportedly questioned two city-based businessmen, suspecting their involvement in hawala transactions in the gold smuggling case. These two are into gold business and were reportedly sending money to Dubai and receiving gold from there.
During the ED raid on multiple locations in the city on Thursday, the premises of these businessmen were also searched. A person from Hosamane Layout in Chikkamagaluru is also said to have been picked up for questioning.
The officers are not ruling out the possibilities of Ranya using government vehicles to smuggle out gold from the airport. All officers, who were on duty at KIA on March 3, might be questioned.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara told reporters that a report from Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, who is probing misuse of police protocol privileges and the role of Ranya’s stepfather DGP K Ramachandra Rao in the case, is expected anytime.
“The report will reveal if the DGP or the two ministers have any role in the case as alleged by the opposition BJP. Central agencies are also probing the case and they have not given any report to the state police chief,” Parameshwara said.
