Bengaluru: On the day Kannada actress Ranya Rao wrote a letter to the additional director of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), claiming innocence and alleging torture in the Agency’s custody, her stepfather K Ramachandra Rao, a DGP rank officer, was directed by the Karnataka government to go on compulsory leave. A video has also now surfaced, purportedly showing DRI officials removing six gold biscuits from Ranya’s sandals.
Ranya was arrested by the DRI from the Bengaluru airport on March 3, after she landed there by an Emirates flight from Dubai. The DRI claims that over 14 kgs of unaccounted for gold, valued at Rs 12.56 crore, was found on her person. She is now in judicial custody.
Soon after the news broke, the Karnataka government appointed an officer of additional chief secretary rank to probe whether Rao had allowed his stepdaughter to misuse certain privileges granted to officers of his stature. The DGP rank officer was managing director of the Karnataka Police housing board.
It is not known whether the investigating officer has submitted any report to the state government as yet, but Rao was ordered to go on compulsory leave on Saturday. K V Sarath Chandra, additional DG (Recruitment), will be in dual charge for the moment, the government order has mentioned.
The video, meanwhile, shows a man, who is gloved, forcing open the soles of a pair of sandals, purportedly belonging to Ranya, and removing six gold biscuits.
“Yah ladki lamba jayegi (this girl is headed for a long prison term),” the man is heard telling someone. He also wonders aloud, how the gold remained undetected at a high-security airport like Dubai, where passengers are even made to take off their belts and shoes, during security checks.
The man then asks his companion to inform the media.
