Karnataka Gold Smuggling Investigation: Congress Denies State Government Involvement

Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad firmly states no involvement of Karnataka state officials in ongoing gold smuggling probe. The investigation, under the Central Bureau of Investigation's purview, targets multiple allegations, including actress Ranya Rao's offenses. Karnataka Chief Minister has ordered a swift report amid opposition claims of protocol violations.

In a firm rebuttal, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad on Tuesday denied involvement of any Karnataka state government official in criminal activities linked to a gold smuggling case. Speaking to ANI, Arshad emphasized that the investigation is being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which operates under the central government's jurisdiction.

Rizwan Arshad highlighted, "The CBI, not the state government, is handling this probe with complete independence. If anyone is involved, it should be brought to light, but we maintain that no state government official is engaged in any criminal wrongdoing." Arshad also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for lowering political discourse with unfounded accusations.

The BJP allegations have led Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to initiate a state inquiry into purported 'protocol violations' at Bengaluru International Airport. The probe also examines senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao's alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case linked to actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested for bringing 14.8 kilograms of gold from Dubai to Bengaluru.

Karnataka's Additional Chief Secretary, Gaurav Gupta, is tasked with investigating the misuse of airport courtesy services by Ranya Rao and determining IPS Rao's role. The chief minister calls for a report within a week. Ranya Rao, who claimed her Dubai trip was business-related, is suspected of illegal activities and has been remanded to judicial custody.