From Business Ventures to Gold Smuggling: Ranya Rao Case Deepens

Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case:The mystery around the Gold Smuggling case is spreading its tentacles each passing day. Two prime agencies the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Enforcement Directorate are keeping an eye on the Gold Smuggling case. Investigators have traced a pattern of frequent international travel, suspicious financial transactions and links to an alleged hawala network, deepening the investigation into Ranya's role in the smuggling.

45 times a day round trip
In addition, Ranya's stepfather Ramachandra Rao, who is a senior DGP rank officer, has also been questioned by the police. The investigating officers are trying to find out if the Kannada actress was using her step father's name to travel to Dubai as she made many trips without a hitch which fuelled suspicion. 

His round trips on 45 occasions raised strong suspicions about his involvement in the smuggling racket. Moreover, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence claimed during a court proceeding on Tuesday that it had evidence of Rao and his friend Tarun Raju making 26 trips to Dubai. During the trips, Ranya Rao and Raju would leave in the morning and return by evening, a pattern that raised suspicion.

Questionable business dealings
In 2023 Rao registered Veera Diamonds Trading in Dubai, allegedly a front for money laundering. Tarun Raju is an actor and businessman, allegedly Ranya's partner in gold smuggling. In 2022 he also founded Bio Enho India in Bengaluru, later renaming it Ziroda India. Multiple business ventures in a short span of time further raised suspicions over his financial activities.

Officials are investigating their financial records, suspecting that the money deposited in the accused's accounts was later sent to unknown sources linked to gold smuggling. Investigators believe Ranya's business ventures may have been used to launder illegally earned money.