Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who has been in custody for over two months in connection with a gold smuggling case, has been granted bail by a Bengaluru court. She was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for allegedly attempting to smuggle 14.8 kg of gold into India from Dubai.
Alongside co-accused Tarun Kondaraju, Ranya has been granted bail on the condition of furnishing two sureties and a bond of ₹2 lakh. The court has also imposed strict restrictions, barring them from leaving the country and prohibiting any involvement in similar criminal activities.
Despite being granted bail, Ranya Rao is unlikely to walk free immediately. According to her lawyer B.S. Girish, she remains in custody under provisions of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA). This preventive detention law allows authorities to hold individuals without trial under specific circumstances. Ranya’s mother has challenged the COFEPOSA detention in the High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for June 3.
Who is Ranya Rao?
Born in 1980 in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, Ranya Rao studied engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before transitioning to the Kannada film industry. Though she has maintained a low profile about her personal life, reports suggest she recently married Jatin Hukkeri, an architect known for designing pubs and microbreweries. She is also believed to be the step-daughter of DGP Ramachandra Rao, who was placed on compulsory leave following her arrest.
