May 20, 2025 05:53 PM IST
Ranya Rao was granted conditional bail by the economic offences court in connection with a gold smuggling case, on two sureties each and Rs. 2 lakh bond.
Kannada actor Ranya Rao was on Tuesday granted conditional bail in connection with the gold smuggling case, but she will remain in jail under the COFEPOSA case.
Tarun Kondaraju, a co-accused in the gold smuggling case, was also granted conditional bail. The economic offences court put two sureties each and a Rs. 2 lakh bond on both accused.
The court also imposed the condition that both Rao and Kondaraju cannot leave the country and must not commit a similar crime. Other conditions include appearing before the court on all hearing dates without exception, cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation, and prohibition from tampering with evidence or attempting to influence witnesses. The court issued a stern warning, noting that any breach of these conditions would lead to the cancellation of their bail.
According to a report by news agency ANI, Ranya Rao’s lawyer, BS Girish, argued before the court that the actor will not be released even if she gets bail, as a case has been registered against her under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA).
The COFEPOSA case has been challenged by Ranya Rao’s mother in the Karnataka high court. The high court will hear the case on June 3.
Ranya Rao gold smuggling case
Ranya Rao, who is the stepdaughter of Karnataka IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 after DRI officials found her carrying gold bars in a jacket. 14.2 kilograms of foreign-origin gold from Dubai was seized from her possession.
Officials estimate the value of the seized consignment at ₹12.56 crore and claim that the accused attempted to evade customs duties totalling ₹4.83 crore by taping the gold to her body using bandages.
Tarun Kondaraju was arrested on March 10, a week after Rao’s arrest, with officials confirming that he had accompanied her on a trip to Dubai prior to the alleged smuggling attempt.
DRI told the court in March that Ranya Rao admitted to using the illegal ‘hawala’ channel for transferring funds to buy gold.
