No pressure to withdraw CID probe in Ranya Rao case, says Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara | Bengaluru
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday clarified that there was no pressure on him to withdraw the CID probe into Kannada actress Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case.
The state government had initially ordered a CID investigation into possible lapses by police personnel at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). However, within 24 hours, it withdrew the order, opting instead for a probe led by Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta under the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR).
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According to news agency ANI, Parameshwara stated that he was the first to order the CID inquiry into protocol lapses when the case came to light. However, since Ranya’s stepfather, IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, was also under scrutiny, the Chief Minister’s Office directed the DPAR to take over.
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“In the meantime, the Chief Minister’s Office also gave directions to the DPAR since he (Ramachandra Rao) is an IPS officer. So we decided not to have a parallel inquiry by our (police) department,” Parameshwara told reporters.
Dismissing allegations of political pressure, he emphasized, “There was no pressure. No one asked for an inquiry, nor was there pressure to withdraw it. There is no confusion in the decision.”
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Reacting to BJP’s claims that he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attended Ranya Rao’s wedding, Parameshwara brushed it off, saying, “We go to thousands of weddings.”
Recently, officials at KIA seized gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from Ranya. Subsequent searches at her residence led to the recovery of ₹2.67 crore in cash and gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crore.
(With agency inputs)
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