A year on, Ranya Rao walks out of jail as COFEPOSA detention ends

Other suspects Tarun Raju, Sahil Jain to be released shortly

Bengaluru: Gold-smuggling accused Kannada actor Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao walked out of Bengaluru prison on Wednesday after her year-long detention under the stringent anti-smuggling law ended. 

The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) will not be seeking any extension of the actor's detention, sources told DH. 

Ranya, 33, the stepdaughter of suspended IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, was arrested by the directorate on March 3, 2025, after she flew to Bengaluru from Dubai.

According to the directorate of revenue intelligence, the actor carried 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore on her person. 

Her associate, Tarun Konduru Raju alias Virat Konduru, 36, a US citizen, was arrested by the DRI six days later.

Raju, the DRI said, maintained close ties with Ranya and was her associate in gold smuggling. 

Shared proceeds

Sahil Sakariya Jain, 27, a Ballari jeweller and the third suspect in the case, allegedly helped Ranya dispose of the gold, shared the proceeds from the sale and helped in hawala transactions. Jain was arrested on March 26 last year. 

Bail granted

On May 20, the special court for economic offences granted statutory bail to Ranya and Raju on executing a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each, along with two sureties. A few days later, the court granted bail to Jain on similar grounds. 

However, all of them remained in the prison due to the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) of 1974. 

The Act was invoked by the central government on Ranya and Raju on April 22. Jain was booked under the same Act the following day.

Detention despite bail  

Later in July, the COFEPOSA advisory board under Section 8 of the Act recommended that the provisions remain in place for all three, leading to their detention despite bail. 

Raju and Jain will also be released from detention shortly, officials said.

Last week, the Supreme Court upheld its preventive detention under the anti-smuggling law. 

ED probe

A separate probe is also being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which in February this year filed a prosecution complaint - equivalent to a police charge sheet - and alleged that Ranya and her associates smuggled 127.287 kg of gold worth Rs 102.55 crore into India in just one year.