Kannada actor Ranya Rao has alleged that she was slapped multiple times denied food, and was forced to sign blank documents by officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. In a letter to the Additional Director General of DRI, Ranya maintained her innocence.
The Kannada actor was arrested with gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore strapped to her body in a hidden waistbelt at Bengaluru airport. In her letter, sent through the Parappana Agrahara prison chief superintendent, Ranya claimed that she was arrested inside the aircraft itself.
She also claimed that despite repeated assaults, she refused to sign statements prepared by DRI officers. Ranya said From the moment of my apprehension until I was presented in court, I was physically assaulted, slapped 10-15 times by officers whom I can identify. Despite repeated assaults, I refused to sign the statements they prepared.
Under immense pressure and physical assault, I was forced to sign 50-60 typed pages and around 40 blank white pages prepared by the DRI officers the letter said. Days after her arrest, an image of Ranya in custody went viral, showing her stressed with dark patches under her eyes.
The explosive letter comes a day after a special Bengaluru court denied her bail in the smuggling case, which has been marked by several twists and turns. Ranya, who was in DRI custody for three days, has been sent to 15 days of judicial custody.
Ranya also alleged that a DRI officer threatened to expose her father’s identity if she did not comply. She claimed that her father was not involved in the case. Questioning the legitimacy of the case against her, Ranya claimed that no gold was recovered from her. The actor, who has starred in three films, alleged that certain individuals from Delhi, posing as officers, falsely implicated her to shield other suspects in the case.
In her first official statement to the DRI, the actor confessed to smuggling and said 17 gold bars were recovered from her possession. On March 10, Ranya broke down in court and accused DRI officials of verbally abusing her whenever she stopped answering their questions. However, the actor then claimed that she wasn’t assaulted.