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Actress's Year in Cofeposa Detention Ends
23 Apr
Summary
- Kannada actress Ranya Rao to be released after one-year detention.
- She was arrested for smuggling over 100 kg of gold worth Rs 102 crore.
- Supreme Court upheld her detention, but trial proceedings will continue.
Kannada actress Ranya Rao is scheduled for release this week, concluding her one-year detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act. She was arrested in March 2025 for her alleged role in smuggling over 100 kilograms of gold into India.
Rao, along with Telugu actor Tarun Konduru and hawala dealer Sahil Jain, completed their year-long detention on April 22, 2026. This release follows the Supreme Court's affirmation of their detention orders on petitions challenging the detentions, upholding a previous Karnataka High Court ruling.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted Rao at Bengaluru International Airport on March 3, 2025, with approximately 14.2 kg of gold. Investigations indicated her associates assisted in customs clearance and subsequent disposal of the smuggled gold through hawala channels.
This smuggling operation, involving Ranya Rao, Tarun Konduru, and Sahil Jain, is believed to have smuggled over 100 kg of gold since 2024. The DRI has filed a prosecution complaint seeking a seven-year sentence for the trio under the Customs Act, 1962.
During the investigation, Ranya Rao's stepfather, Karnataka IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, was questioned regarding his knowledge of the smuggling activities. He was also questioned about his stepdaughter using an official state car during alleged smuggling trips.
