NEW DELHI: After Karnataka DGP Ramachandra Rao distanced from the gold smuggling case for which his step-daughter actress Ranya Rao was arrested on Monday and said that they did not have any knowledge about it as Ranya was living with her husband, all eyes are on Jatin Hukkeri, believed to be Ranya’s husband. Ranya and Jatin reportedly got married a few months ago and it is not known whether Jatin Hukkeri was also part of Ranya’s smuggling trips.
The 32-year-old actress was intercepted on Monday at the Bengaluru airport as she was flying from Dubai. She was caught smuggling 14 kg of gold bars hidden in a belt strapped to her body along with 800 grams of gold ornaments. Her multiple short-duration Gulf visits raised suspicion of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). In her last four trips that she made in just 15 days, she was wearing the same attire and the same belt.
Who is Ranya’s husband Jatin Hukkeri?
Ranya did not marry anyone from the film fraternity and her husband Jatin is known to be an architect. According to his LinkedIn profile, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, London, Jatin is skilled in architectural interiors, custom interiors, recreation, design and entertainment. Jatin and Ranya tied the knot at Taj West End in a high-profile ceremony.
Ranya Rao smuggling case: Latest developments
Investigators have now found cash and gold worth crores at Ranya Rao’s Lavelle Road apartment in Bengaluru. DRI officials revealed that the gold ornaments were allegedly purchased under the instructions of a prominent politician but didn’t reveal further details. With the recent raid, the total seizure from the Kannada actress reaches Rs 17.3 crore.
