Ranya Rao, an actress whose bail plea has been denied, remains in judicial custody as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) continue their investigation into allegations of gold smuggling. The state government has appointed Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to oversee the matter following the involvement of DGP Ramachandra Rao and local law enforcement.
In a letter addressed to the Additional Director General (ADG) of Prisons, Rao detailed allegations of misconduct by DRI officers during her detention. The letter, submitted through the jail’s Chief Superintendent, claims she was coerced into signing false statements and subjected to mistreatment. She further requested that no reliance be placed on any statements made during her initial apprehension until her allegations were reviewed in court.
Rao denied the charges against her, particularly the claim that she was caught carrying more than 14 kilograms of gold while traveling from Dubai. She stated that DRI officers did not allow her to explain her innocence. “The officers retrieved the gold from inside the aircraft, and from the moment of my apprehension, I was presented as a suspect. Despite no substantial evidence linking me directly, I was repeatedly slapped—about 10 to 15 times—by officers I cannot even identify,” Rao alleged.
She further stated that despite enduring physical abuse, she refused to sign the prepared statements. However, she claims officers threatened her, saying, “If you do not sign, we will expose your father’s illegal activities.” Due to mounting pressure, physical assault, and intimidation, Rao alleges she was forced to sign approximately 50–60 typed pages around midnight on March 4, allegedly by coercion.
In her letter, Rao asserted that after being taken into custody by DRI officers at approximately 6:45 p.m. on March 3, she was presented before the court only at 7:50 p.m. the next day, March 4. During this period, she was allegedly denied adequate food and rest. “In fact, the officers deliberately deprived me of sleep,” she claimed.
Additionally, Rao described further ill-treatment, alleging, “I was deprived of sleep, physically assaulted, and slapped on my face, with officers threatening to expose my father and family despite knowing he had no involvement. These are forced signatures,” she insisted.
According to Rao, a search was conducted at her residence, but nothing was recovered. She further alleged that certain individuals from Delhi, who introduced themselves as officers, attempted to protect specific interests and indirectly implicated her.
“I was also threatened in a car on my way to court on March 4. They warned that if I mentioned any of this before the judge, they would expose my father’s name,” she added.
Despite her claims, the court rejected Rao’s bail petition, citing evidence of her involvement in economic offenses. The court noted that the allegations raised by her would require further scrutiny. The authorities also highlighted that she had received legal assistance during interrogation and that her statements were taken as per procedural guidelines.
The case remains under active investigation, with law enforcement agencies closely examining the claims and counterclaims to determine the veracity of Rao’s allegations and the extent of her involvement in the smuggling operation.
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