“Brought 17 Gold Bars”: NDTV Accesses Actor Ranya Rao’s First Statement
Kannada actor Ranya Rao – the stepdaughter of a senior IPS officer caught smuggling gold at the Bengaluru airport – has admitted that “17 gold bars” were found on her in a confession given to the revenue officials after her arrest. In her statement accessed by NDTV, she has also revealed the details of her international trips that included the Middle East, Dubai, and some Western countries.
“I have travelled to Europe, America, and (the) Middle East and have visited Dubai, Saudi Arabia. I wish to state that I am tired at present as I did not get enough rest,” her statement read.
It was earlier learnt that she made 27 trips to Dubai in the past year.
She also revealed her family details in her statement – she said her father is KS Hegdesh, a real estate businessman, and her husband is Jatin Hukkeri, an architect who lives with her in Bengaluru.
Her stepfather is Ramachandra Rao, the Director-General of Police of the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation.
Ms Rao, who made her debut with the 2014 movie Maanikya starring Kichcha Sudeep, also offered to cooperate with the investigators as she remains in judicial custody until next hearing.
Suggesting that she was getting a fair trial, she said her statement was voluntary and without any force, and that she was also offered food from time to time, which she refused since she wasn’t hungry.
The actor was arrested with 14 kg gold bars worth Rs 14.56 crore at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru Monday night in one of the largest gold seizures in recent times.
Her stepfather Ramachandra Rao has denied involvement in the crime and said he was “shocked and devastated” by the news of his daughter being arrested over smuggling charges.
