Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Granted Conditional Bail in Smuggling Case

Kannada actress Ranya Rao received conditional bail from a special economic offenses court on Tuesday. Alongside her, co-accused Konduru Raju was also granted similar bail conditions. The court stipulated that both individuals must provide two sureties and deposit a personal bond of ₹2 lakh each. The special court approved their release on the condition that they would not leave the country, following the failure of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials to submit a charge sheet against them.

Justice Vishwanath C. Gaudar, who presided over the hearing, issued the bail order. However, despite this ruling, Ranya Rao will not be released immediately due to an ongoing case against her under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA). This law in India is designed to prevent smuggling and protect foreign exchange, allowing for the detention of individuals suspected of engaging in such activities.

Ranya Rao and her co-accused Raju are implicated in a conspiracy to illegally import gold valued at over ₹12.56 crores from Dubai into India. The case emerged on March 3, 2025, when Ranya was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru with 14.8 kilograms of gold allegedly smuggled from Dubai. Subsequent investigations revealed that Ranya had traveled to Dubai 45 times between 2023 and 2025, raising suspicions about her involvement in a larger smuggling network. Further inquiries uncovered her connections to a Dubai-based firm, Veera Diamonds Trading, which she co-founded in 2023 with actor and businessman Tarun Raju.