Who Is Ranya Rao? Know Everything About Kannada Actress Arrested For Smuggling Gold From Dubai

Kannada actress Ranya Rao, daughter of Director General of Police (Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on March 3 on charges of alleged gold smuggling. She was produced before a special court judge for financial offences, who remanded her to 14-day judicial custody on Tuesday.

The actress was found in possession of 14.8 kg gold at the airport.

Who is Ranya Rao?

Ranya is known for her roles in films such as Manikya and Pataki. According to several media reports, she is the stepdaughter of DGP Rao.

Ranya, a native of Chikmagalur, Karnataka, studied engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before entering the film industry. She made her acting debut in 2014 with the Kannada film Maanikya, directed by and starring Sudeep, where she portrayed a wealthy young woman and the love interest of the protagonist.

She expanded her career into Tamil cinema with the 2016 film Wagah opposite Vikram Prabhu. In 2017, she returned to Kannada cinema with Pataki, playing a journalist alongside actor Ganesh.

As per her bio on Facebook, she has described herself as a "seeker, traveller, star gazer, and a sunset lover."

About Ranya Rao's arrest

After her arrest on Monday night, Ranya was produced before a special court for economic offences, which remanded her to 14 days in judicial custody.

According to officials, she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and had been under surveillance due to her frequent international travel. Investigators revealed that she allegedly smuggled the gold by wearing a large portion of it and concealing gold bars within her clothing.

Authorities became suspicious after noting that she had traveled to Dubai four times within 15 days, prompting them to conduct a targeted operation upon her return.

Preliminary investigations suggest that Ranya may have attempted to use her connections to evade customs checks. Reports indicate that upon landing, she allegedly identified herself as the daughter of Karnataka’s Director General of Police and contacted local police personnel to escort her home.

Officials are now examining whether any law enforcement officers, including her IPS relative, were aware of her activities or if they were unknowingly involved in assisting her.

According to reports, authorities are investigating whether she acted independently or was part of a larger smuggling network operating between Dubai and India.