Court denies bail to Kannada actor in gold smuggling case
Officials said that Ranya handed over the smuggled gold to a merchant named Sahil Jain, who was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday
A sessions court in Bengaluru on Thursday denied bail to Kannada actor Harshavardhini Ranya, popularly known as Ranya Rao, in the gold smuggling case. The court reserved the order in a hearing on Tuesday.
According to the prosecution, Ranya admitted to using hawala channels to facilitate gold purchases. In response, the authorities issued a notice to initiate a judicial investigation, which they believe will uncover further financial irregularities.
The case also involves Tarun Raj, an aide of the actor, who has been named as the second accused.
Officials said that Ranya handed over the smuggled gold to a merchant named Sahil Jain, who was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday. So far, three people have been arrested in the case.
During Tuesday’s hearing, DRI lawyer Madhu Rao said that Ranya and Raj made approximately 26 trips to Dubai together, often departing in the morning and returning the same evening. Before her arrest, the actor allegedly booked a flight ticket for Raj, who then handed over the gold to her in Dubai.
Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore were seized from Ranya, the step-daughter of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 upon her arrival from Dubai.
Following this, searches were conducted at her residence, where officials recovered gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to ₹2.67 crore.
The Karnataka government placed Ramachandra Rao, Ranya’s stepfather, on compulsory leave, later questioning him over potential links to the smuggling network.
Separately, authorities secured a four-day custody of Jain on Thursday to further investigate his role. “Jain, a resident of Ballari, is the third suspect to be apprehended in the case. Before his arrest, Ranya Rao and her associate, Tarun Kondaru Raju, had already been taken into custody. According to the DRI, Jain played a crucial role in the illicit network by helping Rao sell the smuggled gold and allegedly receiving proceeds from multiple transactions,” said a senior police officer familiar with the investigation.
Jain has been charged under Section 135 (1) (b) of the Customs Act, 1962, with non-bailable offences punishable under various sub-sections of the Act, police stated.
