Gold Smuggling Case: Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Likely To Be Released On Bail
Bengaluru: In a major development, Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who was involved in the high-profile gold smuggling case, is likely to be released as her one-year preventive detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) ends on Wednesday.
According to sources, Ranya Rao may be released today or tomorrow after her legal team completes pending surety formalities for her regular bail. While she was granted regular bail several months ago, she remained in custody under COFEPOSA preventive detention. With the one-year term now complete, agencies, including the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) cannot seek further detention under the same provisions, clearing the way for her release.
It may be recalled that the actress was accused in a Rs 102 crore gold smuggling case where, through a syndicate, over 127 kg of gold was smuggled into India in a year from March, 2024 to March, 2025.
Ranya Rao was intercepted by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence at Kempegowda International Airport on her arrival in Bengaluru from Dubai on March 2, 2025, after keeping a watch on her frequent trips abroad. They had reported that she had travelled to Dubai 27 times since January 2025. The investigation further uncovered a sophisticated smuggling methodology, including the use of a State Police Protocol Officer to bypass security, hawala transactions to transfer funds from India to Dubai for purchasing gold, and the involvement of a larger syndicate.
The DRI officials recovered foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore while they seized gold bars weighing 14. 213 kgs from her on the spot. Subsequent searches at the residence of Ranya Rao in Bengaluru city, ED officials recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. Later, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took up the investigation after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a First Information Report on March 7, 2025.
Harshavardhini Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of IPS officer Ramachandra Rao and is currently lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison.
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