Ranya Rao won't walk free despite gold smuggling case bail
What's the story
Kannada actor Ranya Rao and co-accused Kondaru Raju have been granted conditional bail by a special court in the gold smuggling case.
However, Rao's release is still not certain due to another case against her under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to file a charge sheet, prompting the bail decision by Justice Vishwanath C Gowdar.
Bail terms
Bail conditions and ongoing detention
The special court for economic offenses granted Rao and Raju bail with conditions. They will have to submit two sureties and a bond of ₹2L each.
Further, they shouldn't leave the country or repeat the offense.
Rao's detention, however, continues in another case under the stricter CoFEPoSA law, which allows preventive detention of those suspected of smuggling or violating foreign exchange regulations.
Arrest details
Rao's arrest and allegations of gold smuggling
Rao was arrested on March 3 at Bengaluru International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle around 14.2kg gold bars from Dubai.
The gold, worth over ₹12.56cr, was reportedly concealed on her person. The DRI acted on a tip-off and arrested her.
Authorities were reportedly monitoring Rao for her frequent international trips. She and Raju reportedly traveled to Dubai 52 times between 2023 and 2025, including 45 single-day round trips.