#BREAKING: Bengaluru Court Grants Bail to Ranya Rao in Gold Smuggling Case with Stringent Conditions

A Bengaluru Economic Offences Court has granted default bail to Kannada actress Ranya Rao and co-accused Tarun Kondaraju in a high-profile gold smuggling case, though Rao will remain in custody due to charges under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974.

The bail, granted on Tuesday, requires two sureties each and a ₹2 lakh bond, with strict conditions prohibiting Rao and Kondaraju from leaving the country or engaging in similar offenses.

Rao was arrested on March 3, 2025, at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.56 crore from her, concealed in a waist belt, upon her arrival from Dubai. Subsequent searches at her Lavelle Road residence uncovered gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash, bringing the total seizure to ₹17.29 crore.

Also Read: PM Modi Leads High-Level Meeting to Boost India’s Tourism Sector

The DRI alleged Rao, stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramchandra Rao, made over 50 trips to Dubai between 2023 and 2025, smuggling around 100 kg of gold with Kondaraju and others, evading ₹4.83 crore in customs duties.

Despite the bail, Rao’s lawyer, BS Girish, noted she will remain in Bengaluru Central Prison due to COFEPOSA charges, imposed to prevent further illicit activities after multiple failed bail attempts.

The court’s conditions reflect the case’s severity, with ongoing investigations by the DRI, Enforcement Directorate, and CBI probing a larger smuggling syndicate, including potential links to state officials.

Also Read: Tension Over! Shiv Sena (UBT) Backs India’s Anti-Terror Global Outreach After Rijiju-Thackeray Call