The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has levied a penalty of ₹102 crore on Kannada actress Ranya Rao in connection with a gold smuggling case. The actress, along with three others, has also been imposed with hefty fines exceeding ₹50 crore.
DRI officials served the penalty notice, which ran 2,500 pages long, to Ranya Rao and the other accused, who are currently held in Bengaluru Central Jail. Besides Rao, the DRI imposed penalties of ₹63 crore on hotelier Tarun Kondaraju and ₹56 crore each on jewellers Sahil Sakaria Jain and Bharat Kumar Jain. According to DRI sources, a total of 11,000 pages of documents were served to the accused. The accused have been warned that their properties could be seized if they fail to pay the fine.
Ranya Rao was apprehended on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru upon her arrival from Dubai, allegedly carrying 14.8 kg of gold. Investigations revealed that Rao made frequent trips to Dubai, with approximately 52 visits between 2023 and early 2025, and is suspected of using police escorts to bypass customs screenings. Gold jewellery worth ₹2 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 crore were recovered from her residence. Ranya Rao is the step-daughter of K Ramachandra Rao, a Director General of Police rank officer. Following the surfacing of the smuggling case, K Ramachandra Rao was sent on leave, which was later revoked.
In July 2025, Ranya Rao was sentenced to one year of imprisonment under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA). The COFEPOSA-related matter was presented before the High Court on Tuesday, with the hearing scheduled for September 11.
Ranya Rao has alleged mistreatment while in DRI custody, claiming she was slapped multiple times, denied food and sleep, and coerced into signing voluminous documents, including blank pages. Following Ranya Rao's arrest, her husband Jatin Hukkeri also came under scrutiny. Hukkeri sought legal relief by applying for exemption from arrest, stating that they had separated about a month after their marriage in December 2024, and were living apart at the time of the case.
