Ranya Rao case: Congress vs BJP over land grant; actress alleges 'verbal torture'

Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case, has alleged that she was “verbally tortured and threatened” in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence’s (DRI) custody in Bengaluru.

Also read: Ranya Rao 'confesses' to 17 gold bars in her possession

Ranya also said she was “traumatised and emotionally broken”. However, she has ruled out physical torture, a report on NDTV said on Monday (March 10).

Ranya sent to judicial custody

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

She was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a special court for economic offences.

Also read: Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: Possible drug nexus under probe

The DRI said it seized the gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from Ranya at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.

Ranya 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.

Congress vs BJP over Ranya's case

Meanwhile, Ranya’s alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case has triggered a political slugfest in Karnataka with the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP trading charges of favouritism and cover-up.

While the BJP has alleged the involvement of an influential minister in shielding her, the Congress countered the charge by accusing the saffron party of allotting 12 acres to her to set up a TMT steel bar factory.

In a post on ‘X’, BJP Karnataka president B Y Vijayendra said, “Media reports about the involvement of a prominent minister in @siddaramaiah's government in one of the biggest gold heists in recent times come as no surprise — especially given this government's track record of churning out scandals in increasingly "innovative" ways!” The MLA said that the blatant violation of government protocols that allegedly enabled Ranya Rao to smuggle gold over Rs 12 crore could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government.

The BJP state chief further said if these reports were true, then it raised serious concerns about the extent of the alleged nexus.

State Home Minister G Parameshwara said the investigation was underway and with the CBI also stepping in, the truth will come out.

“Until the investigation concludes, we cannot say anything. Neither me nor the government can offer any such feedback,” he told reporters on Monday.

Minister shares govt notification

Minister for Medium and Large Industries, M B Patil hit back saying that when the BJP was in power, it allotted 12 acres of land at Sira in Tumakuru to Ranya’s firm in February 2023 to establish a steel plant.

Earlier, Patil's office had shared the government's final notification issued on February 22, 2023, regarding the allocation of land to Ranya's firm Ksiroda India at the Sira Industrial Area in the Tumakuru district, after sensing that the smuggling case was taking a political turn.

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has said that Ranya was allotted land to set up a steel plant by the previous BJP government in February 2023.

(With agency inputs)