The senior police officer whose daughter - Ranya Rao - was arrested at Bengaluru airport Monday night, after officials found 14.8kg of gold in her possession, has been left "shocked and devastated" by the news, and has also sought to distance himself from the entire affair.
"The law will do its job. There is no black mark on my career," he told news agency ANI.
Ramachandra Rao, Director-General of Police (Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation), also said, "Like any other father, I was shocked and devastated when it came to my notice through the media. I was not aware of any of these things. I don't want to say anything more."
"She is not living with us... she is living separately with her husband. There must be some problem between them... (maybe) due to some family issues," the top cop said.
Ranya Rao is Mr Rao's stepdaughter. The senior police officer re-married after his first wife died. His second wife has two daughters from her first marriage, of whom Ms Rao is one.
READ | Who Is Ranya Rao, Kannada Actor Arrested For Gold Smuggling
Ranya Rao was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Monday after she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight. Source said the arresting officers found her trying to smuggle gold into the country by wearing a significant amount and concealing the rest in her clothing.
There are also reports saying two aides carried gold bars in briefcases.
READ | Ranya Rao, Cop's Daughter, Arrested At Bengaluru Airport With 15kg Gold
Preliminary inquiries suggest she used her connections to skip security checks; she reportedly announced herself as the daughter of a Karnataka DGP and contacted local cops for an escort.
However, authorities had been tracking Ms Rao for some time; their suspicions were aroused after she made four trips to Dubai in 15 days. And, after this last trip, they sprag their trap.
They had almost cleared customs and were about to leave the airport when the DRI team stopped her and started a search. The nearly 15kg of gold that was seized has been valued at a staggering Rs 12.56 crore, which is one of the largest from Bengaluru airport in recent years.
READ | 14 Kg Gold Haul, One Step From Exit: How Ranya Rao Was Caught
And that wasn't all.
Officials then searched Ms Rao's home, which she shared with her husband, on Bengaluru's Lavelle Road and found Rs 2.06 crore in gold jewellery and cash worth Rs 2.67 crore.
"The passenger has been placed under arrest under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, and remanded to judicial custody. The total in the case stands at Rs. 17.29 crore, marking a significant blow to organised gold smuggling networks," a DRI statement said.
The investigation is now focused on uncovering possible links to cops, or others, who may have helped her. It will also establish if she was acting alone or was part of a larger network.
Ms Rao - an actor known for her role opposite Kannada superstar Sudeep in 'Maanikya', which was released in 2014 - is now being questioned at the DRI's office in the city.
With input from agencies
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