Ranya Rao is a famous Kannada actress who was recently arrested at a Bengaluru airport for allegedly smuggling 15 kg of gold from Dubai, find out more below about her and her husband
According to reports, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence conducted the operation on suspicion of Rao’s frequent travels.
Following the arrest, Rao is now in judicial custody for 14 days as authorities further investigate the possibility of a larger smuggling network.
Ranya Rao arrested
Authorities at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru arrested Ranya Rao on March 4, 2025, for allegedly smuggling 15 kg of gold worth approximately Rs 12.5 crore. Following the incident, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) confirmed her arrest, stating that officers apprehended her on Monday night. Subsequently, a court later remanded Rao to remain in judicial custody for 14 days.
Just 4 months back, according to her father, Ranya married Jatin Hukkeri, who runs WDA spaces.
If you have heard of Bobs bar, 1522, Hangover etc, its his company that has done interior design to these pubs & bars. pic.twitter.com/7cTq5W0QUC
— Karthik Reddy (@bykarthikreddy) March 5, 2025
According to reports, Rao arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and was under surveillance due to her frequent travels. Authorities reported that she visited Dubai four times within the last 15 days, which prompted a targeted operation. Ranya Rao reportedly smuggled gold by wearing some and concealing some of the gold bars within her clothing. Upon their arrival, she reportedly tried to use her connections to bypass airport customs, claiming to be the daughter of Karnataka’s DGP and even requesting police escort.
However, officials did not play into her requests and arrested her after conducting a search. Following the arrest, they took her to the DRI headquarters in Bengaluru’s HBR layout for questioning. Authorities are now conducting further investigations into whether she acted alone or was part of a larger smuggling network.
#RanyaRao — Kannada actress and daughter of #Karnataka DGP Ramachandra Rao — was reportedly detained by #customs officials at #Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on March 3.
Ranya was allegedly smuggling 15 kg of #gold from #Dubai.@krishnaksays @nabilajamal_ pic.twitter.com/hm3kJZY6U4
— News9 (@News9Tweets) March 4, 2025
Who is architect Jatin Hukkeri, husband of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, biography, age, education, business and marriage
Ranya Rao is a famous Indian actress and model who was born on May 28, 1993, in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka. She is mostly renowned for her work in South Indian films and made her debut in the 2014 Kannada movie Maanikya. Ranya is notably the stepdaughter of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K. Ramachandra Rao. Ramachandra is the current Director-General of Police at the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation.
Ranya had recently, four months back gotten married to famous local architect, Jatin Hukkeri after which she hadn’t spoken to her family as revealed by her stepdad.
3️⃣ Ranya Rao, known for films like ‘Maanikya’ & ‘Pataki,’ married architect Jatin Hukkeri 4 months ago. Her father, DGP Rao, distanced himself, saying, “She has let us down. If there is any violation, the law will take its course.” Huge shock to the family! 🎭⚖️ #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/M2Abf5ewLi
— Satyaagrah (@satyaagrahindia) March 5, 2025
Jatin is an experienced Bengaluru based architectural designer with a demonstrated history of working in the Hospitality Architecture and planning industry. He is skilled in Architectural Interiors, Custom Interiors, Recreation, Design, and Entertainment. A strong arts and design professional, he graduated from Royal College of Art, London and had previously gone to the RV College Of Engineering to do his Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), Architecture & Interior Design. While his DOB isn’t known, he is aged between 30-50 years while his wife Ranya is aged 32.
Jatin who is the Founder and Creative Director of WDA, entered the F&B industry making a mark on Bengaluru’s restaurants with his innovative design, later expanding across India & London. He’s the Founder & Creative Director, WDA & DECODE LLC and also the founder of Craft CoDe.
WDA is a young design practise whose work seamlessly amalgamates interior and exterior spaces, from large, innovative and original architectural ideas to the smallest of furniture and product design. The team at WDA is a constellation of young, design savvy professionals, headed by Jatin Hukkeri who has worked on a varied canvas of projects in hospitality, retail, residential and institutional segments.
The practise engages in work that includes projects for corporate, retail, hospitality and private individual commissions to institutional buildings. They particularly specialise in Tropical style of architecture using local materials, craft skill and adapt the same to evolve innovative & contemporary designs to cater to the needs of a rapidly globalizing population.
Age and height
Ranya Rao is currently 31 years old and stands at a height of 1.65 meters.
Career
Ranya Rao started out her acting career around April 2014, after actor-director Sudeep signed her for the Kannada film Maanikya. In the film, Rao played the role of Manasa, a supporting character and Sudeep’s love interest. She faced several mixed reviews for her performance, as many felt that she failed to impress.
The following year, in June 2015, she signed her second film and made her Tamil debut, Wagahin the film opposite Vikram Prabhu. This new role marked her first-ever leading role. Two years later, in 2017, Rao starred in the Kannada comedy Pataki as Sangeetha. She played the role of a journalist and the love interest of a police officer played by Ganesh.
गोल्ड स्मगलिंग के आरोप में गिरफ्तार कन्नड़ एक्ट्रेस रान्या राव, कर्नाटक के DGP की बेटी के पास जब्त हुआ 14.80 KG #ActressRanyaRao #RanyaRaoArrested #DGPDaughterRanyaRao #BollywoodNew pic.twitter.com/KK1vpJZLOK
— Tadka Bollywood (@Onlinetadka) March 5, 2025