Actress Ranya Rao, accused in gold smuggling case, gets VIP darshan at temple

Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who escaped detection while smuggling 14.2 kg of gold at Bengaluru airport last year, is once again in the spotlight. Ranya Rao visited the famous Hasanamba Temple located in Karnataka's Hassan district, but the special arrangements and VIP treatment she received during this visit have sparked intense controversy.

According to an NDTV report, Ranya Rao reached Hasanamba Temple on 31 October with her stepfather and retired DGP (Director General of Police) K. Ramachandra Rao. It has been learned that during this visit, Rao and her family members reached the temple in a protocol vehicle. As the protocol vehicle facility is extended to her stepfather, Ranya Rao also received special facilities for temple darshan.

The VIP arrangements provided to the actress drew heavy public ire, which subsequently turned into a political row. BJP MLC CT Ravi has harshly criticised the Karnataka government led by Congress in this regard. According to an IANS news agency report, CT Ravi said, "Perhaps from the state government's perspective, Ranya Rao is a VIP. The Congress government may consider her a VIP."

Ranya Rao is currently out on bail in the gold smuggling case. Ranya Rao was arrested in March 2025 when she was caught carrying 14.2 kg of gold. A portion of this gold was worn by her, while the remaining gold was hidden in her clothes. During the investigation, it emerged that the actress was part of a smuggling network. She used to take large commissions for smuggling goods from Dubai to Bengaluru, receiving an approximate commission of ₹4-5 lakh for the smuggling of one kg of gold.

Additionally, Ranya Rao's name was also included in the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a ₹102 crore gold smuggling case that occurred earlier this year. The chargesheet alleged that a syndicate smuggled more than 127 kg of gold to India in one year, which was sold in the local market through a network of handlers and jewellers.

In connection with this case, a penalty of ₹102 crore was also imposed on Ranya Rao by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). As she is currently using protocol facilities for temple darshan, a political tug-of-war is ongoing between political parties over this issue.