Kannada Actress Ranya Rao’s Bail Hearing Postponed by Court

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday deferred actress Ranya Rao's bail application hearing to April 17 and instructed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to present its objections before that date.

Previously, a Bengaluru special court had prolonged the judicial custody of Kannada film actress Ranya Rao, along with co-accused Tarun Raju and Sahil Jain, until April 21. The three individuals face allegations related to an illicit gold smuggling operation valued at over Rs 12.56 crore

The investigation was triggered on March 3, 2025, following Rao's detention at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, where officials reportedly found 14.8 kilograms of undeclared gold linked to Dubai. Rao, also identified as Harshavardhani Ranya, had traveled alone to Dubai on 45 occasions between 2023 and 2025, prompting further scrutiny from enforcement agencies.

Authorities discovered that Rao co-founded Vira Diamonds Trading in Dubai in 2023 alongside actor-entrepreneur Tarun Raju, also known as Virat Konduru. Officials allege that the entity was used as a facade to facilitate illegal gold imports. Investigators claim Raju procured the precious metal in Dubai and coordinated its transfer to India through unauthorized channels.

Jeweler Sahil Jain, the third accused, allegedly assisted Rao in the sale of approximately 49 kilograms of smuggled gold within India. According to officials, Jain managed monetary transfers to Dubai through hawala networks and was compensated with commissions.

The DRI has submitted evidence implicating all three suspects in the organized smuggling scheme. In earlier proceedings, Raju's bail was rejected due to concerns about the seriousness of the financial crime and his repeated international travel, which raised flight risk concerns.