The Central Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into a gold smuggling operation involving Kannada actress Rane Rao. CBI teams have been dispatched to Mumbai and Bengaluru airports to investigate a potential smuggling network.
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00:00Here's what has happened in Karnataka.
00:02Is there a gold smuggling racket in which an actress is involved and perhaps others
00:06too including political links?
00:08The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a probe into the gold smuggling operation
00:12and because remember there could be international implications here.
00:15Even though the Kannada actress Rane Rao has been taken in custody, sources are telling
00:19India today CBI teams have been dispatched to Mumbai, Bengaluru airports to further investigate
00:25if there is a smuggling network.
00:27The agency is aiming to uncover potential links between domestic operatives and international
00:32smugglers here.
00:33Teams have been deployed at major airports and they are looking at a syndicate if it
00:38works at this point.
00:40Meanwhile Karnataka Home Minister said CBI has not sought permission from the Karnataka
00:44government to launch a probe in the state.
00:46The state government however will wait for the CBI to table its findings too.
01:23the state.
01:24They are awaiting report.
01:25They are awaiting findings.
01:26S Prakash of the BJP joins me on that.
01:30I want to take this question to you sir because till now it was a question mark on the BJP
01:34on the Congress government but now it's also surfacing, did she receive a certain amount
01:39of land and during the Basavaraj Bhoomai government and could that then emerge into a political
01:45link?
01:46Was the BJP helping her in any way?
01:49No, the allotment of land does not mean that the BJP minister is behind it.
01:54There is a very strong rumor that there is one of the Congress ministers involved in
01:59many of the shoddy deals of Rania Rao and so far the DGP of her father, DGP Ramchandra
02:09Rao has not been asked to go on leave because he has misused his position.
02:13The government, state government is protecting him and it is very pertinent for us to raise
02:18the question why he is being protected.
02:20Are they fearing he will open the can of worms?
02:24So it is for the Congress government to come out clean on this matter.
02:28The CBI is seized of the matter, DRI is investigating and I am sure in the coming days the truth
02:34will come out.
02:35Till then we do not wish to politicize entirely.
02:41Prakash also tell me this that what do you expect the government then to do because is
02:46this just about one actress you feel?
02:49Do you think there could be a larger nexus at play?
02:51How was she possibly evading security even though she has no entitlement or right to
02:55do that?
02:56The depth of this scandal, this scam can only be investigated by DRI and the CBI if they
03:04are already on the job.
03:05But till they submit the report we will not be able to know about it.
03:12Secondly, the protocol has been violated.
03:17They have taken advantage of the protocol available to the police officers and even
03:22a constable is involved in it and it is because of these privileges such incidents have taken
03:30place.
03:31Government should make it mandatory to everyone to undergo frisking, checking whoever comes
03:37from abroad and enters the Bangalore airport.
03:41Not just the protocol officials, even the police officers should protect themselves.
03:46Prakash, like you were saying, you believe there could be some congress ministers or
03:49leaders involved.
03:50What we have, a fresh statement and information coming in from our sources that the BJP has
03:56also been claiming that the actress Rania Rao tried to call a minister while she was
04:00in arrest.
04:01When the arrest was just happening.
04:03And just remember when you are facing already serious smuggling charges and you have been
04:08flaunting that you are a top cop's daughter.
04:11Mr. S. Prakash, do you believe there is a minister who possibly she was in touch with?
04:16Do you have names that you want to speculate about?
04:19Who do you believe possibly she called?
04:21I am not into any speculation game here.
04:24The paper report is two ministers may be involved.
04:28It is not my report.
04:30But my question to the state government is why the officer's daughter who is arrested
04:34is not been not been asked to go on leave.
04:37Either he should have been suspended by now.
04:39I should have asked to go on leave for all the violation of the protocol rules.
04:46The government should come out clean on it.
04:47It is my demand.
04:48Why do you feel that, sir?
04:50Why do you feel that the DGP rank officer needs to go on leave?
04:53Because he says, I know nothing about it.
04:56I'm distancing myself.
04:57She lives separately.
04:58She lives with her husband.
04:59Why do you believe, however, that would be pertinent here?
05:02No, but police, the constable belonging to his office goes to the airport and bring her
05:09out without any frisking.
05:11And the gentleman being the DGP of this police department, does he does he not know what
05:18is happening in the area with her daughter and the constable who is involved in it?
05:23My final questions are, how do you think the Congress government needs to look at this?
05:40Because if a minister's involvement or at least the manner in which that he was possibly
05:45in touch with her in any way, do you think that deserves and demands strict action that
05:50the government should not protect any of the leaders involved, allegedly, if there
05:54are?
05:55No, until unless a report comes out from the investigation, the government will not act
06:03because they are well aware and it is going to bring misrepute to the government.
06:10My only demand is, let the officer who is involved should be sent on leave and the impartial
06:17inquiry is going on and government should not interfere in it.