In a high-profile gold smuggling case, the Economic Offences Court in Bengaluru on Tuesday granted default bail to Kannada actress Ranya Rao and co-accused Tarun Kondaraju. However, Rao will remain in judicial custody under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, a stringent anti-smuggling law.
The bail was granted on furnishing two sureties and a bond of ₹2 lakh each. The court imposed strict conditions: the accused cannot leave the country and must not be involved in any similar criminal activities. Violating these conditions will result in immediate cancellation of the bail.
Despite securing bail, Ranya’s release has been halted due to the invocation of the COFEPOSA Act. Her lawyer, BS Girish, stated that even with bail, she would remain in custody as a preventive measure. Authorities claim that Rao has not cooperated with investigators and poses a risk of resuming illegal activities.
Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of senior police officer DGP K Ramchandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, allegedly while smuggling 14.2 kg of gold valued at ₹12.56 crore. A raid at her residence later revealed gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash, pushing the total value of seized assets beyond ₹15 crore.
The case is currently under joint investigation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Meanwhile, a special team led by a senior IAS officer has been formed by the Karnataka government to investigate the possible involvement of DGP Ramchandra Rao.
In a related development, Ranya challenged the legality of the search and seizure operation conducted by the DRI, claiming it violated Section 102 of the Customs Act. Her legal counsel argued that proper procedures were not followed, including notifying her family and presenting her before a magistrate or senior customs officer.
Ranya remains lodged at Bengaluru Central Prison, along with Tarun Raju and Sahil Sakaria Jain, both also booked under COFEPOSA.
