He also said that the state government has nothing to do with the case as central agencies are investigating it.
The deputy CM also said, “No minister is involved, we don’t know anything. It is all political gossip. Investigating officers will investigate in accordance with the law. We have nothing to do with it,” Shivakumar said.
Read more: Who is Ranya Rao, Kannada actress arrested for smuggling ₹13 crore worth of gold
Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said, “The central government is investigating, let them do it.” Ranya Rao, 34, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 upon her arrival at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai, and gold bars worth
₹12.56 crore were seized from her.
The next day, the DRI said it seized gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 from her residence in Bengaluru.
Ranya is the stepdaughter of K Ramachandra Rao, a DGP-ranked police officer presently serving as Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
Read more: Gold smuggling accused Ranya Rao’s firm promised to invest ₹138 crore on land allotted by Karnataka govt
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR in this case.
First Published: Mar 11, 2025 11:54 AM IST
