Days after Kannada actress Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru Airport in connection with an alleged gold smuggling racket, it has now emerged that she has confessed to the crime in her statement to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Rao admitted in her initial statement to the DRI that 17 gold bars were seized from her possession. She also disclosed that she had traveled not only to Dubai but also to Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. However, she declined to provide further details and requested rest.

Rao, the stepdaughter of Ramachandra Rao, Director General of Police (Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation), had been under surveillance due to her frequent trips to Dubai. Authorities discovered that she had traveled to the city approximately 30 times over the past year, including four times in just 15 days, allegedly smuggling gold each time.

Following her arrest, the Bengaluru DRI conducted raids at her residence, recovering gold jewelry valued at Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash. She has since been placed in 14-day judicial custody.

This case, regarded as one of the largest gold smuggling busts in Karnataka, has also drawn attention to Rao’s husband, Jatin Hukkeri. Investigators suspect that he accompanied her on several trips to Dubai, where she allegedly smuggled gold.

Hukkeri, who tied the knot with Rao in a lavish ceremony at Taj West End four months ago, is an architect by profession. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Interior Design from RV College of Engineering in Bengaluru and further pursued studies in Disruptive Market Innovation at the Royal College of Art – Executive Education in London. The couple resided in a luxury apartment on Bengaluru’s upscale Lavelle Road before Rao’s arrest.