DRI slaps Rs 102-crore penalty on Kannada actress Ranya Rao for gold smuggling activities

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Sep 3, 2025: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday served a notice on Kannada actress Ranya Rao alias Harshavardhini Ranya, 33, for the payment of a Rs 102-crore penalty for allegedly smuggling an equivalent amount of gold into India from Dubai in 2024-2025.

The actress was intercepted by the DRI when she arrived at Bengaluru airport from Dubai on March 3 allegedly with a consignment of 14.2 kg of gold valued at Rs 12.56 crore strapped on her person, which she did not declare to customs authorities.

The investigations of the gold smuggling case involving the actress, who is the stepdaughter of a senior Karnataka police officer, revealed that she had gone 31 times to Dubai since 2024 and smuggled nearly 127 kg of gold valued at over Rs 100 crore, DRI sources said.

The arrest of Ranya Rao also led to the arrest of her Telugu actor friend Tarun Konduru alias Virat Konduru, 36, and two hawala dealers-cum-jewellers—Sahil Jain, 27, and his uncle Bharat Jain, 45. The DRI also issued notices in the Bengaluru prison for penalties amounting to Rs 56 crore on Konduru and Rs 56 crore each on Sahil Jain and Bharat Jain.

DRI sources said the penalties imposed on Ranya Rao and her associates were for the gold smuggling activities and as prescribed by the Customs Act. The penalty amount is equivalent to the value of the gold found to have been smuggled by the accused in the course of investigations, DRI sources said.

The penalty notice issued ahead of the prosecution of the smuggling case involves a provisional attachment of properties as per the Customs Act, a DRI official said. DRI officials served each of the accused notices running into 250-300 pages along with details of supporting evidence running into 2,500 pages, they added.

On April 22, the Government of India issued orders for the detention of Ranya Rao, Konduru, and Sahil Jain for a year under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act 1974. The order was issued by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Finance at the DRI’s request to prevent their involvement in gold smuggling activities.

The penalty notice issued ahead of the prosecution of the smuggling case involves a provisional attachment of properties as per the Customs Act, a DRI official said. DRI officials served each of the accused notices running into 250-300 pages along with details of supporting evidence running into 2,500 pages, they added.

On April 22, the Government of India issued orders for the detention of Ranya Rao, Konduru, and Sahil Jain for a year under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act 1974. The order was issued by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Finance at the DRI’s request to prevent their involvement in gold smuggling activities.