Kannada actress Ranya Rao released after 1-year detention in gold smuggling case

Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao, and others who were arrested in March 2025 for smuggling gold from Dubai, have been released from preventive detention.

Having completed a year of detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), Rao was granted bail by Special Economic Offences Judge Vishwanath Gowdar.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had arrested Ranya for smuggling 14.2 kg gold worth ₹12.56 crore from Dubai. She was caught smuggling the gold in belts and jackets while using a route reserved for VVIPs.

American national Tarun Kondur Raju alias Virat Konduru and goldsmith Sahil Sarkaria were also arrested in connection with the smuggling.

The trio were allegedly part of a larger syndicate that had smuggled over 100 kg of gold into India between 2024 and 2025.

Rao and Konduru Raju were granted default bail in May 2025 as the DRI had failed to file a chargesheet within the statutory timeline of 60 days. However, since they were booked under COFEPOSA, a preventive detention law, they were detained to deter smuggling.

In December 2025, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed a plea filed by Rao's mother, HP Rohini, challenged the COFEPOSA detention.