Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case: Atria Hotel heir Tarun Raju Arrested

Tarun Raju, grandson of the owner of Atria Hotel, has been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in connection with a high-profile gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao. His arrest follows Rao’s detention at Kempegowda International Airport, where officials caught her with gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore.

Also Read: Ranya Rao’s 40 Dubai trips, 520 kg Gold smuggled, commission in crores?

Sources revealed that investigators found evidence linking Tarun Raju to the smuggling network. He was presented before the Special Economic Offences Court in Bengaluru, which granted the DRI five days of custody for further questioning.

Authorities suspect that Raju and Rao were close associates in the illicit trade, with their partnership continuing despite Rao’s marriage to architect Jatin Hukkeri. The investigation uncovered that Rao had contacted Raju during her gold transport from Dubai, which proved crucial in his arrest.

During questioning, both Raju and Rao were confronted together to uncover the full extent of their operation. Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka police officer Ramachandra Rao, partially confessed, admitting to smuggling gold multiple times. Officials also recovered gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash from her residence.

With the case unraveling, the DRI is intensifying efforts to identify more accomplices and track the entire smuggling network.