Bengaluru, April 3 The investigation into the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has revealed that the actress has been involved in hawala transactions in collusion with the third accused in the case.
The DRI, in its remand application submitted to the Special Court for Economic Offences in connection with the arrest of the third accused, jeweler Sahil Sakaria Jain, in the gold smuggling case, described how Sahil and Ranya Rao were involved in a hawala nexus.
The investigations have found that with the help of the third accused, Sahil, actress Ranya Rao disposed of 49.6 kilograms and transferred Rs 38.4 crore hawala money to Dubai.
The DRI stated: “The investigations have indicated that Sahil, hailing from Ballari and settled in Bengaluru, assisted and abetted Ranya Rao in disposing of 49.6 kilograms of gold worth around Rs 40 crore and transferring hawala money of Rs 38.4 crore to Dubai.”
The DRI further stated that the accused Sahil has confessed that he also facilitated the transfer of Rs 1.7 crore to Ranya Rao in Bengaluru. Sahil has agreed that he was receiving Rs 55,000 for each transaction, the DRI stated in its remand application.
The DRI maintained that the unaccounted cash of Rs 2.7 crore seized from the residence of Ranya Rao, following her arrest on March 4, is likely the hawala money received by her as a profit from purchasing gold in Dubai and selling it in Bengaluru.
The DRI, giving further details to the court, stated, “In Nov 2024, he (Sahil) helped Ranya Rao in selling 8.9 kilograms of gold worth over Rs 6.8 crore. He helped her in sending hawala money of Rs 6.5 crore to Dubai in the same month. In the same period, he handed over Rs 32 lakh hawala money to Ranya Rao.
In December 2024, Sahil helped Ranya in selling 12.6 kilograms of gold worth Rs 9.9 crore. Then, he transferred Rs 9.6 crore hawala money to Dubai on her behalf. In Jan, Sahil helped Ranya Rao in disposing of 14.5 kilograms of gold worth Rs 11.5 crore. Then he assisted her in transferring Rs 11 crore hawala money to Ranya Rao in Bengaluru, the remand application stated.
The remand application also stated, “In February, Sahil sold 13.4 kilograms of gold worth Rs 11.8 crore, assisted Ranya in transferring Rs 11.2 crore hawala money to Dubai. He also handed over Rs 55 lakh hawala money to Ranya Rao in Bengaluru.”
Sahil was arrested on March 26, and presently he has been remanded to judicial custody.
Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of senior police officer Ramchandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kilograms of gold, valued at over Rs 12.56 crore.
The case is presently being investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The state government has set up a special team led by a senior IAS officer to look into the role of DGP Ramachandra Rao. The report in this regard has been submitted to the government, sources stated.
--IANS
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