Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Jailed in Gold Smuggling Scandal

Kannada actress Ranya Rao has been sentenced to a year in prison under COFEPOSA for her involvement in a gold smuggling case. Despite prior bail, the advisory board ruled against her release, citing preventative detention. Authorities seized gold worth Rs 12.56 crore from her possession at the airport.

Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment under the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), in connection with a gold smuggling case.

The Advisory Board ruled that Rao would not be granted bail throughout her detention term. Initially, she and co-accused Tarun Raju were granted default bail on May 20 by a city court, as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to file charges within the mandated timeframe.

Regardless of bail set on a Rs 2 lakh bond, both Ranya and Tarun remained in custody due to COFEPOSA's preventive detention order, which allows detention up to a year without formal charges on suspicion of smuggling. In March, authorities apprehended Ranya with 14.2 kilograms of gold at Kempegowda International Airport, worth Rs 12.56 crore, following suspicious behavior.

(With inputs from agencies.)