Kannada actress Ranya Rao breaks down in court, sent to judicial custody till...

Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao who was arrested in a gold smuggling case was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a special court for economic offences, on Monday.

The actress was in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for three days for interrogation. On Monday, the DRI officials produced her before the court where she broke down. 

The DRI said it seized the gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Ms. Rao is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao. The DGP-rank officer is currently serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

Ranya, known for her roles in Kannada films like Maanikya and Pataki, was detained earlier this week by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in connection with an alleged gold smuggling case after returning from Dubai on March 3. Authorities allege that Ranya was carrying 14.8 kilograms of gold, which she intended to smuggle into the country.

On March 4, Ranya Rao was produced before a special court for financial offences and was remanded to judicial custody until March 18. Prior to her transfer to custody, she underwent a medical examination at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. During questioning, Ranya reportedly claimed that her trip to Dubai was for business purposes, though authorities allege that her visit was linked to the illegal importation of gold. Meanwhile, soon after the Kannada actress was arrested at Bengaluru International Airport, an image of her with swollen eyes and bruises began circulating on social media, leading to speculation that the actress might have been allegedly assaulted during or after her arrest at the airport.

The Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women, Nagalakshmi Chaudhary, responded to the viral image while speaking to ANI on Firday and stated that the commission cannot conduct an investigation unless a formal complaint is filed. "Actually, someone has to file a complaint with us. The Women's Commission is not an authority to conduct an investigation," she said.

(With inputs from PTI)