Ranya, actor friend visited Dubai to smuggle gold: DRI

THE AGENCY CLAIMED RAO AND ACTOR TARUN KONDURU RAJU, MADE 26 TRIPS TOGETHER BETWEEN JAN AND MARCH

- Ayesha Arvind and Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: There was a clear nexus between Kannada actress Ranya Rao and her Telugu actor friend Tarun Konduru Raju, both arrested in a gold smuggling case, the directorate of revenue and intelligence (DRI) informed a special court in Bengaluru on Tuesday, adding the duo travelled together on several occasions over the last two years.

Rao, stepdaughter of IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 3 after DRI officials found her in possession of 14.2 kg of gold bars worth ₹12.5 crore, upon her arrival from Dubai, while Raju was taken into custody on March 10.

The federal revenue and intelligence agency claimed that Rao and Raju made 26 trips together between January and March this year. Officials suspect that Rao has made 56 trips to Dubai between 2023 and this year.