Bengaluru Airport tightens protocol rules after Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case

Following the high-profile arrest of Kannada actress Ranya Rao in a gold smuggling case, Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has introduced stricter security protocols, particularly for individuals with influential backgrounds. The Karnataka government has now decided that protocol privileges will be granted only to senior bureaucrats and will no longer extend to their family members or acquaintances, according to a report by The Times of India.

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"There is no provision to extend security beyond the designated officer, whether IPS or IAS. Additional security is considered only in cases where there is a direct threat to an official, and even then, it may be extended only to their immediate family," Additional Chief Secretary to Home, SR Umashankar, told the publication.

The existing state police protocol came under intense scrutiny after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) detained Ranya Rao at Bengaluru airport on allegations of gold smuggling. According to sources, a protocol staffer assigned to receive her was also taken in for questioning. Authorities initially suspected his involvement in the case but later released him after he testified that he was simply following orders to escort the Director General of Police’s (DGP) daughter and had no knowledge of the contents in her luggage.

Meanwhile, sources in the DRI revealed that Ranya has admitted to being in possession of 17 gold bars. The actress, whose passport identifies her as Harshavardini Ranya, is the stepdaughter of DGP K Ramachandra Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. She was taken into custody by DRI officials on March 3.

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A special court dealing with economic offenses granted DRI officials three days’ custody of Ranya after she was caught attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai. Investigators also uncovered that she had traveled to Dubai 27 times in the past six months, raising suspicions about the purpose of her frequent visits.