Actress accused in gold smuggling case gets VIP darshan at temple with police security; faces backlash

BENGALURU: A controversy has erupted after actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case, was given VIP darshan at a temple in Karnataka. Ranya visited the Hasanamba Temple in Hassan district on October 31 along with her family. Her stepfather, retired DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, also accompanied her. There are reports that the actress travelled in an official vehicle allotted to Ramachandra Rao in his capacity as a former DGP.

The actress and her family visited the temple under police protection. The incident has drawn criticism from the BJP, which has questioned the Karnataka government over the special treatment given to Ranya.

Ranya was arrested in a case involving the smuggling of gold worth crores of rupees by concealing it in her clothes and belt. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had imposed a penalty of Rs 102 crore on her.

She was arrested in March 2025 with gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. She was caught at the airport while allegedly attempting to bypass security checks with a police escort. A subsequent search led to the recovery of gold concealed in her clothes. During searches at her residence, officials also seized cash worth Rs 2.06 crore and gold worth Rs 2.67 crore. Ramachandra Rao remarried a woman from Chikkamagaluru after his first wife died in an accident. Ranya is his daughter from the second marriage.

Hassan, Karnataka: Actress Ranya Rao, an accused in the gold smuggling case and currently out on bail, visited Hassanamba Temple in Hassan with her family. She was reportedly provided a protocol vehicle for darshan https://t.co/zrrhCG5bfm

— IANS (@ians_india) October 31, 2026