BENGALURU: In the gold-smuggling case allegedly involving actor Ranya Rao, CBI has lodged an FIR in Delhi under Prevention of Corruption Act by leaving the “accused” column shockingly blank, listing only “unknown public servants” and “unknown private persons” as suspects. This unusual FIR is causing ripples in political and bureaucratic circles since CBI can now summon any individual – from govt officials to politicians – who may be implicated as the probe unfolds in the case. CBI stepped up investigations following a report from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence that strongly suspects a syndicate’s involvement in the racket.
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CBI launched a probe into the case involving Ranya Rao, daughter of director general of police Ramachandra Rao, following a complaint from Abhai Kumar Srivastav, director-general of DRI. CBI probe may unravel graft in govt circles DRI has captured in detail a series of gold-smuggling cases, including two significant busts in quick succession, all of which seemed to point to a well-coordinated syndicate operating between Dubai and India. On March 6, two foreign nationals were arrested at Mumbai airport with 21.2kg gold worth Rs 19 crore, barely days after Ranya was caught smuggling 14.2kg gold into Bengaluru. The frequency and scale of these operations suggested an intricate network, one that may involve foreign nationals and, possibly, high-ranking govt officials. The CBI’s action, backed by a formal investigation under Sections 7 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act, has raised the stakes. The investigation has also opened the possibility of blowing the lid off deep-rooted corruption in govt circles, particularly involving officials allegedly aiding such illegal activities. The FIR’s potential to implicate top-tier bureaucrats and political figures has sent shockwaves among the political elite, who are now scrambling to distance themselves from scrutiny.
