CBI probes gold smuggling racket involving Ranya Rao, political links suspected

India Today

The Central Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into a gold smuggling operation involving Kannada actress Rane Rao. CBI teams have been dispatched to Mumbai and Bengaluru airports to investigate a potential smuggling network.

Transcript

00:00Here's what has happened in Karnataka.

00:02Is there a gold smuggling racket in which an actress is involved and perhaps others

00:06too including political links?

00:08The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a probe into the gold smuggling operation

00:12and because remember there could be international implications here.

00:15Even though the Kannada actress Rane Rao has been taken in custody, sources are telling

00:19India today CBI teams have been dispatched to Mumbai, Bengaluru airports to further investigate

00:25if there is a smuggling network.

00:27The agency is aiming to uncover potential links between domestic operatives and international

00:32smugglers here.

00:33Teams have been deployed at major airports and they are looking at a syndicate if it

00:38works at this point.

00:40Meanwhile Karnataka Home Minister said CBI has not sought permission from the Karnataka

00:44government to launch a probe in the state.

00:46The state government however will wait for the CBI to table its findings too.

01:23the state.

01:24They are awaiting report.

01:25They are awaiting findings.

01:26S Prakash of the BJP joins me on that.

01:30I want to take this question to you sir because till now it was a question mark on the BJP

01:34on the Congress government but now it's also surfacing, did she receive a certain amount

01:39of land and during the Basavaraj Bhoomai government and could that then emerge into a political

01:45link?

01:46Was the BJP helping her in any way?

01:49No, the allotment of land does not mean that the BJP minister is behind it.

01:54There is a very strong rumor that there is one of the Congress ministers involved in

01:59many of the shoddy deals of Rania Rao and so far the DGP of her father, DGP Ramchandra

02:09Rao has not been asked to go on leave because he has misused his position.

02:13The government, state government is protecting him and it is very pertinent for us to raise

02:18the question why he is being protected.

02:20Are they fearing he will open the can of worms?

02:24So it is for the Congress government to come out clean on this matter.

02:28The CBI is seized of the matter, DRI is investigating and I am sure in the coming days the truth

02:34will come out.

02:35Till then we do not wish to politicize entirely.

02:41Prakash also tell me this that what do you expect the government then to do because is

02:46this just about one actress you feel?

02:49Do you think there could be a larger nexus at play?

02:51How was she possibly evading security even though she has no entitlement or right to

02:55do that?

02:56The depth of this scandal, this scam can only be investigated by DRI and the CBI if they

03:04are already on the job.

03:05But till they submit the report we will not be able to know about it.

03:12Secondly, the protocol has been violated.

03:17They have taken advantage of the protocol available to the police officers and even

03:22a constable is involved in it and it is because of these privileges such incidents have taken

03:30place.

03:31Government should make it mandatory to everyone to undergo frisking, checking whoever comes

03:37from abroad and enters the Bangalore airport.

03:41Not just the protocol officials, even the police officers should protect themselves.

03:46Prakash, like you were saying, you believe there could be some congress ministers or

03:49leaders involved.

03:50What we have, a fresh statement and information coming in from our sources that the BJP has

03:56also been claiming that the actress Rania Rao tried to call a minister while she was

04:00in arrest.

04:01When the arrest was just happening.

04:03And just remember when you are facing already serious smuggling charges and you have been

04:08flaunting that you are a top cop's daughter.

04:11Mr. S. Prakash, do you believe there is a minister who possibly she was in touch with?

04:16Do you have names that you want to speculate about?

04:19Who do you believe possibly she called?

04:21I am not into any speculation game here.

04:24The paper report is two ministers may be involved.

04:28It is not my report.

04:30But my question to the state government is why the officer's daughter who is arrested

04:34is not been not been asked to go on leave.

04:37Either he should have been suspended by now.

04:39I should have asked to go on leave for all the violation of the protocol rules.

04:46The government should come out clean on it.

04:47It is my demand.

04:48Why do you feel that, sir?

04:50Why do you feel that the DGP rank officer needs to go on leave?

04:53Because he says, I know nothing about it.

04:56I'm distancing myself.

04:57She lives separately.

04:58She lives with her husband.

04:59Why do you believe, however, that would be pertinent here?

05:02No, but police, the constable belonging to his office goes to the airport and bring her

05:09out without any frisking.

05:11And the gentleman being the DGP of this police department, does he does he not know what

05:18is happening in the area with her daughter and the constable who is involved in it?

05:23My final questions are, how do you think the Congress government needs to look at this?

05:40Because if a minister's involvement or at least the manner in which that he was possibly

05:45in touch with her in any way, do you think that deserves and demands strict action that

05:50the government should not protect any of the leaders involved, allegedly, if there

05:54are?

05:55No, until unless a report comes out from the investigation, the government will not act

06:03because they are well aware and it is going to bring misrepute to the government.

06:10My only demand is, let the officer who is involved should be sent on leave and the impartial

06:17inquiry is going on and government should not interfere in it.

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