Bengaluru/IBNS: Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who has been arrested for allegedly smuggling gold, was allotted land to set up a steel plant by the previous Karnataka government in 2023, a state board concerning industrial area development claimed, media reports said.

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) on Sunday claimed a piece of land was allocated for Ranya's firm Ksiroda India at the Sira Industrial Area of the Tumakuru district in Karnataka.

The land was allocated at a time the state was run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was defeated by the Congress in May 2023.

Ranya, who is the step-daughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru International Airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs. 12.86 crore.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended Ranya Rao after she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and was immediately taken into custody.

A court handling economic offenses later remanded her to judicial custody for 14 days.

Ranya said in a confession that she was caught at the airport with 17 gold bars.

"I have travelled to Europe, America, and (the) Middle East and have visited Dubai, Saudi Arabia. I wish to state that I am tired at present as I did not get enough rest," she said as quoted by NDTV. 

Reports claim Ranya travelled to Dubai 27 times in the last year bringing her under the scanner of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

A court handling economic offenses later remanded her to judicial custody for 14 days.

According to DRI sources, Rao had been under watch due to her frequent overseas trips, the report said.