Court in Bengaluru Refuses Bail for Actress Accused in Gold Smuggling Scandal
In March 2025, actress Ranya Rao was arrested at Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport with 14.2 kg of concealed 24-carat gold worth over Rs 12.5 crore. The investigation that followed revealed a sophisticated transnational smuggling operation, sourcing gold from Dubai, Uganda, and other jurisdictions, with payments routed through illegal hawala channels to evade financial scrutiny.
Ranya Rao was found to be working in collusion with accomplices such as Tarun Konduru Raju. Hawala transactions worth around Rs 38 crore were involved in disposing of smuggled gold within India. A jeweller named Bharat Jain was also arrested for assisting in these hawala dealings and gold sales.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) led the probe, which also implicated the misuse of police protocol by Ranya Rao, such as getting police escorts and official vehicles on repeated overseas trips to Dubai, raising suspicions. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) subsequently attached immovable properties worth Rs 34.12 crore connected to the case.
The Court cited Ranya Rao's influence as a reason for denying bail, stating she could manipulate with the evidence. The Special Court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru denied bail to Ranya Rao (33).
Ranya Rao's father, Dr K. Ramachandra Rao, a senior IPS officer of Karnataka and Managing Director of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation Limited, was placed on compulsory leave during the investigation but was reinstated as Director General of Police (DGP) in August 2025, after the state government’s re-evaluation of his role.
The modus operandi of the smuggling operation included false customs declarations, dual travel documents, and gold sourced internationally to bypass airport security. This case highlights complex international smuggling mechanisms involving document forgery, hawala networks, and abuse of official privileges.
Officials from the Directorate of Enforcement and Central Bureau of Investigation are continuing their investigations into the gold smuggling and have registered separate First Information Reports against Ranya Rao. Ranya Rao is currently in judicial custody, and the gold bars seized from her have been taken by the officials.
1) The complex gold smuggling operation, which involved Ranya Rao and her accomplices, extended beyond national borders, intertwining with general-news matters such as the misuse of police protocol and hawala transactions.2) Amidst the charges of gold smuggling and money laundering, Ranya Rao's political influence was scrutinized in the realm of crime-and-justice, leading to her incarceration and multiple investigations by authorities.
