Gold Smuggling Scandal: Actress Ranya Rao’s Lawyer Challenges DRI’s Search Consent at Bail Hearing

Actress Ranya Rao, who was caught allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold at Kempegowda International Airport, is facing legal hurdles in securing bail. During a court hearing, her legal team raised concerns over discrepancies in consent documents related to her search.

Ranya Rao’s counsel, senior advocate Kiran Javali, argued that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) submitted a modified version of the consent form while opposing her bail plea. He claimed this document differed from the one presented before the magistrate after her arrest.

Challenge to Search Procedure

Javali also questioned the DRI’s compliance with Section 102 of the Customs Act, which mandates that a person being searched must be given the option of being presented before a senior customs officer or a magistrate. The DRI, however, maintained that Rao had consented to a search before a deputy director of customs present at the airport.

DRI Defends Action

The DRI’s legal team, led by senior counsel Madhu N Rao, asserted that the agency followed all legal procedures. The agency claimed that Rao was the financier of the gold smuggling operation and that the gold was purchased in Dubai using funds transferred through hawala channels.

The prosecution highlighted Rao’s frequent travel to Dubai—27 visits since January 2025—and her possession of a Dubai Resident Identity Card as evidence of her involvement in smuggling activities.

Background case

Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 after arriving from Dubai with gold worth ₹12.56 crore wrapped around her body. Authorities claim she attempted to evade ₹4.83 crore in customs duty. The DRI has also alleged that she misused a police protocol service at the airport, which was available to her stepfather, senior Karnataka DGP-rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, to bypass customs checks.

The sessions court is set to rule on her bail plea on March 27. Her alleged associate, Telugu actor Tarun Konduru, who is also under investigation, will have his bail plea heard on the same day.

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