Karnataka DGP Distances Himself from Stepdaughter Ranya Rao Amid Row: ‘Married 4 Months Ago, Hasn’t Visited Since’

Karnataka DGP Distances Himself from Stepdaughter Ranya Rao Amid Row: Ranya Rao of Kannada films, popular for titles like 'Maanikya' and 'Pataki,' was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3, 2025, in Bengaluru. She is the stepdaughter of Karnataka's Director General of Police (DGP) Dr. K Ramachandra Rao, who has distanced himself from the matter.

DGP Rao told Times of India that he had no connection to his daughter's activities. "She got married four months ago and hasn't visited us since. We are unaware of her or her husband's business dealings. This has come as a huge shock and disappointment. The law will take its course," he said.

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What is the row about?

DRI officials had got specific input about her involvement in the gold smuggling case, and a team was placed at the airport to wait for her arrival.

After her flight landed, she was arrested and brought to the custody of the DRI. On March 4, 2025, Ranya was produced in front of a special judge to try her for financial offences, and she was remanded into judicial custody until March 18, 2025.

Ranya was also taken for medical examination at Bowring Hospital, Bengaluru, prior to being sent to custody. The actress, while being questioned, stated that she had gone to Dubai for business. However, the officials of DRI claimed that she was traveling with huge amounts of gold to be smuggled into India.

According to the DRI, total gold in her possession was 14.8 kilograms. Meanwhile, Ranya has since been remanded in judicial custody as the DRI works on the investigation of the case.

Her arrest was announced immediately after the complaining allegation that she was involved in smuggling gold flying from Dubai into India. Found in these circumstances was the statement made by Congress MLA and Legal Advisor to the Karnataka Chief Minister, AS Ponnanna, regarding this arrest.

Ponnanna insisted that Ranya was being treated as any other accused, saying, "She is an accused for indulging in smuggling. The law will take its course, whether she is the DGP's, the CM's or the Prime Minister's daughter...If there is any official nexus involved in this, it will come out in the investigation."

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Who is Ranya?

Chikmagalur in Karnataka is where Ranya hails from, and she studied engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before entering the film industry, according to the Times of India.

In her debut in 2014, she appeared in the Kannada film *Maanikya*, directed and starred by Sudeep, where she played Manasa, who is a wealthy young woman and love interest of the protagonist.

Her first foray outside Kannada films was in 2016 with *Wagah*, a romantic drama with Vikram Prabhu, before returning in the following year to Kannada films with *Pataki*, a comedy in which she portrayed Sangeetha, a journalist and the love interest of Ganesh's character.

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