Bengaluru:
Sahil Jain, a gold merchant, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in disposing of the smuggled gold linked to Kannada actor Ranya Rao.
Arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI, he has been sent to police custody for four days to help with questioning and further investigation.
Ranya Rao, the prime accused in the case, was arrested on March 3 for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kilograms of gold, valued at over Rs 12.56 crore.
Her bail plea is set to be decided by the Sessions Court on Thursday. The prosecution has argued in court that Ranya Rao has admitted to using hawala channels for purchases.
Tarun Raj, a close associate of Rao and the second accused in the case, meanwhile, is also awaiting the court’s decision on his bail application, which is expected to be pronounced the same day.
Ranya Rao’s stepfather, senior police officer Ramchandra Rao, has also been questioned in the matter. The officer was sent on “compulsory leave” days after the actor’s arrest. The order did not specify any reason.
Investigations have indicated that Ranya Rao could skip stringent security check by using the VIP exit that was facilitated by her step-father, who is also a DGP rank officer.
Ranya Rao had come under the lens of the DRI due to her frequent foreign trips. Within the last six months, she had made 27 trips to Dubai, and also the United States.
Following her arrest, a search of her home in Bengaluru’s Lavelle Road yielded gold jewellery worth Rs. 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs. 2.67 crore,” the DRI said.
