BENGALURU, 11 AUG

The State government has lifted the compulsory leave imposed on Director General of Police K Ramachandra Rao, who was linked to a gold smuggling case involving his stepdaughter, Ranya Rao. On Monday, 11 August, 2025, he was reassigned as Director General of Police for the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, a position equivalent to that of Director General of the CID.

Rao was questioned by a state-appointed inquiry committee led by Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta after Ranya was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport on 3 March for allegedly attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. During the inquiry, it was revealed that Ranya reportedly misused police escorts to avoid customs checks.

Following the case, Mr Rao was placed on mandatory leave on 15 March. The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms issued a notification on Monday, stating that Rao's leave had been revoked with immediate effect. It had previously been alleged that Ranya identified herself as the DGP’s daughter upon arrival at the airport, requesting police escorts to her residence.