Ranya Rao gold smuggling case live: Bengaluru court to hear actor’s bail application today

Ranya Rao gold smuggling case live: Kannada actor Ranya Rao was arrested on March 4 at the Bengaluru International Airport .

Rao had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and had been under surveillance due to her frequent international travel.

She is the stepdaughter of a senior police officer, K Ramachandra Rao, and was allegedly using her relations and connections to evade security checks at airports during her visits. Her step father, however, has distanced himself from her after the smuggling accusations, saying he doesn’t have any connection with her activities.

Following the seizures at the airport, searches were conducted at her residence and gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to ₹2.67 crore were also recovered.

On March 4, Ranya was produced before a special court for financial offences and was remanded to judicial custody until March 18. She also underwent a medical examination at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru.

On her part, Ranya has reportedly claimed that her trip to Dubai was for business purposes, though authorities allege that her visit was linked to the illegal importation of gold.

Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: More details

• The Kannada actor frequently travelled between Bengaluru and Gulf countries and used smart tactics to evade security checks at the airport.
• As per a media report, Rao strategically wore the same attire during her past four visits abroad. The gold she carried was concealed within a specially designed belt, making it difficult to detect without detailed screening.
• Investigations have revealed that in just the last 15 days, Rao made 4 trips to the Gulf.
• Each time she returned, she was reportedly provided special assistance—escorted by a protocol officer and picked up by a government vehicle outside the airport. This arrangement allowed her to bypass regular security inspections.
• She was reportedly paid ₹1 lakh per kilogram of smuggled gold or about ₹12-13 lakh per trip.