(Image source from: x.com/RanyaRao)
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has fined Kannada actress Ranya Rao a total of ₹102 crore related to a major gold smuggling incident that was uncovered earlier this year. Rao was taken into custody on March 3 after she tried to bring in 14.2 kilograms of gold from Dubai through Kempegowda International Airport. This confiscation was among the largest in recent times and alarmed both the film sector and the business world in Karnataka. Investigators claim that Rao helped organize the smuggling effort. In addition, three other people were arrested: businessman Tarun Kondaraju, accused of aiding in the transport; and jewellers Sahil Sakharia Jain and Bharat Kumar Jain, who are said to have managed the sale of the gold and moved the money through hawala methods.
All four individuals are currently held at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. The DRI has issued notices to the accused under the Foreign Exchange Regulation and the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA). On Tuesday, officials from the agency's Mumbai branch personally delivered these notices to the prison, along with extensive papers detailing the allegations and evidence. "The fine was determined by adding the market price of the seized gold to the customs fees that officials claim were avoided," stated an official, who mentioned that this monetary penalty does not replace the ongoing criminal cases. “This is purely a financial penalty. The legal process will proceed according to the law,” the official stated. The case has gained significant attention not only due to Rao’s involvement but also because of the suspected ties to hawala operators and international financial networks. Authorities suspect that this operation could be connected to larger smuggling groups operating through airports in southern India.
Legal specialists point out that being found guilty under COFEPOSA can result in serious outcomes, including long prison sentences, alongside substantial financial fines.
