Bengaluru/IBNS, March 10 -- Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who has been arrested for allegedly smuggling gold, was allotted land to set up a steel plant by the previous Karnataka government in 2023, a state board concerning industrial area development claimed, media reports said.

The land was allocated at a time the state was run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was defeated by the Congress in May 2023.

Ranya, who is the step-daughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru International Airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs. 12.86 crore.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended Ranya Rao after she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and was immediat...