Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: FIR against BJP MLA over vulgar remarks

Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: The Bengaluru police Tuesday booked BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal over his alleged derogatory remarks about Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who was recently arrested in a gold smuggling case, a PTI report said on Wednesday.

The case was registered at the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru under Section 79 (Word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Yatnal, based on a complaint from Akula Anuradha, police added.

The complainant said that Yatnal's remarks against Harshavardhini Ranya, aka Ranya Rao, were “objectionable, vulgar, and disrespectful.” In the FIR, the complainant alleged that the BJP leader had made these remarks while speaking to the media in Vijayapura on Monday.

Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case

Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru International Airport after authorities seized 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from her possession. Authorities also recovered gold jewellery valued at ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 crore from her residence.

Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of senior Karnataka IPS officer DGP K Ramachandra Rao, who was sent on compulsory leave on March 16. 

Ranya Rao's bail plea was adjourned to March 19 in a sessions court.

The CBI filed an FIR in the gold smuggling case on the complaint of Abhishek Chandra Gupta, Additional Director of DRI.

The FIR has been registered under the Preventiontion of Corruption Act, 1988 and various sections of the Bharatiyatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) on the complaint of Abhishek Chandra Gupta. The complaint discloses the cognizable offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 20148) r/w 61(2) of BNS.

CBI probe launched

The CBI has launched a probe into the alleged role of public servants in facilitating gold smuggling from Dubai following a complaint by the DRI following Rao's arrest.

The DRI roped in the CBI because of the larger national and international ramifications.

"The possibility of the involvement of unknown public servants of the government of India and unknown others, with such coordinated network, needs to be investigated," the DRI said.

Following the letter from the DRI, the CBI swung into action and registered an FIR against unidentified public servants and private individuals.

(With inputs from PTI)