Ranya Rao Release: Kannada Actress Freed After Gold Smuggling Arrest

Kannada Actress Ranya Rao To Be Released After Smuggling Case

Source: PTI - Edited By: Rediff News Desk April 22, 2026 20:34 IST 2 Minutes Read

Kannada film actress Ranya Rao is set to be released from Bengaluru Central Jail after a year-long detention related to a high-profile gold smuggling case involving the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Photograph: Courtesy @RanyaRao/X

Key Points

Kannada actress Ranya Rao to be released from jail after a year in gold smuggling case.
Ranya Rao was arrested for allegedly smuggling gold worth ₹102 crore.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted her at Bengaluru airport.
Her release was initially blocked by the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA).
Ranya Rao's one-year preventive detention under COFEPOSA expired, leading to her release.

A year after her arrest in a gold smuggling case, Kannada film actress Ranya Rao is set to walk out of Bengaluru Central Jail, DRI sources said on Wednesday.

Details of Ranya Rao's Arrest and Alleged Smuggling

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials intercepted Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao, stepdaughter of the DGP rank (suspended) police officer, Ramachandra Rao, at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, on March 2, 2025, after she allegedly carried out 27 trips to Dubai since January 2025.

Officials seized 14.213 kg of smuggled gold bars directly from her and later found cash and jewellery worth over Rs 2 crore at her residence. She was accused of smuggling gold worth Rs 102 crore.

Legal Proceedings and Release

Although she secured bail earlier from the special court for economic offences, her release was blocked by the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) detention.

A source in the DRI told PTI that the one-year preventive detention expired on April 22, which will allow her to be released.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is the primary intelligence and enforcement agency responsible for combating smuggling and customs fraud in India. COFEPOSA is a preventive detention law that allows the government to detain individuals suspected of involvement in foreign exchange violations or smuggling activities to prevent them from committing further offences. Such detentions are subject to review by advisory boards and judicial scrutiny.

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