Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has suffered a major setback in a gold smuggling case. The court has sentenced her to one year in prison under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA).
Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case: Ranya Rao, a well-known actress in the Kannada film industry, has suffered a major setback in a gold smuggling case. The court has sentenced her to 1 year imprisonment under COFEPOSA (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act).
Notably, she will not be granted bail of any kind during this period. In March 2025, Ranya Rao was arrested with 14.2 kg of gold while returning to India from Dubai. Previously, her bail application had been rejected twice, and now she will legally have to remain in jail for a full year.
What is the whole matter?
In March 2025, when Ranya Rao arrived at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru from Dubai, she tried to exit through the green channel. This channel is for passengers who do not have any dutiable goods to declare. However, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials became suspicious of Ranya's behavior.
When female officers searched her, approximately 14.2 kilograms of gold worth ₹12.56 crore was recovered from her possession. Ranya Rao was immediately taken into custody, and a case was registered against her under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA).
Bail efforts proved futile
Earlier, on May 20, 2025, the court granted bail to Ranya Rao and her co-accused, Tarun Raju, on a bond of ₹2 lakh and strict bail conditions because the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) was delaying the filing of the charge sheet. However, despite this, Ranya and her partner could not be released from custody because a Preventive Detention Order had been issued against them under COFEPOSA. Under this law, an accused can be kept in jail for up to one year even without proof of guilt if there is a b suspicion of their involvement in smuggling.
Who is Ranya Rao?
Ranya Rao is a resident of Chikmagalur, Karnataka, and is the daughter of former Karnataka Police DGP (Director General of Police) Ramachandra Rao. She completed her education at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bangalore. Ranya Rao started her film career in 2014 with the film 'Manikya' alongside superstar Sudeep.
After this, she also worked in films like 'Pataki' and 'Wagha'. Ranya Rao was considered an emerging actress in the South film industry, but her image has taken a severe blow after her name surfaced in gold smuggling.
Will have to spend a full year in jail
Now, according to the court's order, Ranya Rao will have to remain in jail for one year, and she will not have any right to bail during this period. The COFEPOSA Act is a very strict law, and under it, the accused gets neither release nor bail relief. According to legal experts, Ranya Rao's next legal challenge in this case can only be an appeal in the High Court or the Supreme Court, but until the COFEPOSA order is quashed, she will have to remain in jail for 1 year.
