A viral image of actress Ranya Rao, arrested for smuggling gold into India, has gone viral, sparking concerns over her situation in custody. The photo shows the Kannada actress with bruises on her face, particularly noticeable under her eyes.
The image has raised worries about her wellbeing while in custody, with questions about whether she is receiving adequate care and if she may be subject to physical abuse.
Karnataka State Commission for Women Chairperson Nagalakshmi Chaudhary has responded to the image, stating that, while she condemns the abuse, no action can be taken until a formal complaint is filed. "Whoever has committed the assault should not have done so. That's for sure. No one should take the law into their hands. We must allow the investigation, and the law will take its own course. No one has the right to assault anybody, whether it's a woman or anyone else, but I'm totally against that," Chaudhary explained, according to NDTV.
"Unless she writes to the commissioner or sends a letter to me asking us to look into the matter, we will write to the concerned authorities to help her, support her, conduct a proper investigation, and submit a report. That's all the commission can do. Since she has not asked or filed a complaint, I can't comment further," she concluded.
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According to News18, the actor informed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) that she sustained said injuries before travelling to Dubai. Rao, under the court’s orders, has been receiving the required medical care.
Additionally, the DRI alleges that Rao is part of a larger gold smuggling syndicate, utilising protocols reserved for VIPs at the airport, much like how Rao, the step-daughter of Karnataka DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, bypassed security checks during her recent arrivals.
On March 3, Rao was found in possession of 14.2kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. She had flown in from Dubai via an Emirates flight and has reportedly travelled to the emirate 27 times in the past year.
