Ranya Rao case: Political row erupts as B.Y. Vijayendra alleges complicity of Congress Minister in smuggling of gold
The Hindu
Political controversy erupts in Karnataka as BJP accuses Congress of involvement in gold smuggling linked to Ranya Rao case.
The Ranya Rao case boiled over into a political controversy on Sunday (March 10, 2025) after BJP State unit president B.Y. Vijayendra hit out at the ruling Congress party over the alleged involvement of a “prominent minister in Siddaramaiah’s government”.
Without taking any names, Mr. Vijayendra said media reports of a Minister’s involvement in “one of the biggest gold heists in recent times” was no surprise. He alleged that Ranya Rao could not have smuggled gold worth crores by violating protocols if not for the direct support of influential figures in the Karnataka government.
In a post on X, Mr. Vijayendra said: “As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would have received intelligence reports pinpointing the suspected ministers and their involvement, any attempt by the government to shield those responsible will only backfire, especially with the CBI now stepping in. The truth will come out, and any cover-up will only further expose the government’s complicity in this grievous offense.”
Based on the inputs received from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a case and launched a probe on March 8 involving a gold smuggling racket with international links.
Mr. Vijayendra’s comments come a day after the the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) released a statement about the allotment of land in February 2023 by the previous BJP government to Ranya Rao to set up a steel plant in Tumakuru.
KIADB CEO, Mahesh clarified that M/s Ksiroda India Pvt. Ltd., a company linked to Ranya Rao, was allotted 12 acres of land on January 2, 2023, when the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government was in power.
The land, located in Sira Industrial Area, Tumakuru district, was approved for allotment during the 137th State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) meeting held on the same day. According to a press release, the company had submitted a proposal to set up a manufacturing unit for Steel TMT bars, rods, and allied products, with an investment of ₹138 crore. The project was expected to generate approximately 160 jobs.
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