BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court on Saturday rejected the bail petitions of actress Harshavardhini Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru Raju, the first and second accused in the gold smuggling case.
Justice S Vishwajith Shetty dismissed their pleas, though the detailed order is yet to be made available.
Earlier, on March 27, 2025, the Sessions Court had denied bail to Ranya Rao, following a similar rejection by the Special Court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru on March 14, 2025. On April 7, 2025, the Special Court for Economic Offences also refused bail to Tarun Raju, a US citizen.
According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ranya Rao was intercepted and apprehended around 6:30 pm on March 3, 2025, based on credible information that she was carrying smuggled gold. Officials recovered 14,213.05 grams of gold, valued at Rs 12,56,43,362, concealed around her waist and calf muscles using crepe bandages and tissues.
The DRI informed the High Court that since 2023, Ranya Rao and Tarun Raju had traveled to and from Dubai 34 times. Regarding the arrest memo, the agency told the court that it was handed over to Ranya Rao’s husband, Jatin, and it contained the grounds of arrest, reasons to believe, and the necessity for arrest.
During arguments, counsel for Ranya Rao alleged that the DRI manipulated the documents presented before the courts, claiming that different sets of documents were produced. He further contended that the offences are compoundable as the maximum sentence does not exceed seven years.
Meanwhile, a detention order under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) was passed against Ranya Rao by the Central Government on April 22.
