Major Blow to Ranya Rao As Court Rejects Her Bail Plea For The Third Time In Gold Smuggling Case

The 64th City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru on Thursday rejected the bail application of actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested in connection with a gold smuggling case.

The 33-year-old actress was taken into custody on March 3 after being caught at the Kempegowda International Airport carrying 14.5 kg of gold while returning from Dubai. A Karnataka probe panel investigating protocol violations and dereliction of duty is expected to submit its report on the matter soon.

This marks the third time Rao's bail application has been denied. Previously, a Special Court for Economic Offences had rejected her plea on March 14. Reports suggest that her legal team is now preparing to approach the Karnataka High Court for bail.

Gold worth Rs 12.56 crore seized at airport

Ranya Rao was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport upon her return from Dubai, where gold bars valued at Rs 12.56 crore were confiscated. Subsequent searches at her residence led to the discovery of gold jewelry worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency totaling Rs 2.67 crore.

During interrogation, Ranya allegedly admitted that the funds used to buy the gold were transferred through hawala transactions.

What did the DRI reveal?

The court had earlier directed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to submit its objections to Rao's bail plea. In response, the DRI stated that Rao confessed to receiving money via hawala for purchasing gold.

Madhu Rao, representing the DRI, informed the court that the actress had admitted to the transactions. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its bail order for March 27 before ultimately rejecting her plea.

Bail denied for co-accused

Last week, the court also dismissed the bail application of Tarun Konduru Raju, who was arrested on March 10 for his alleged involvement in the smuggling operation. The DRI strongly opposed his bail plea, citing fears that he might flee if released.

Third arrest in the smuggling case

In a significant development, the Bengaluru Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) made a third arrest in connection with the case. A gold dealer, Sahil Sakariya Jain, was taken into custody for allegedly helping Ranya Rao dispose of the smuggled gold.

Sahil was presented before a magistrate on March 26, and authorities secured four days of custody for further investigation. The DRI suspects his involvement is critical in uncovering a larger gold smuggling network.

According to the DRI arrest memo, Sahil played a key role in assisting Ranya Rao with the disposal of smuggled gold and was repeatedly involved in sharing the proceeds from its sale. Prior to his arrest, both Ranya Rao and her business associate Tarun Kondaru Raju had already been taken into custody in connection with the racket.