In a significant development in the high-profile gold smuggling case, the Kannada actor Ranya Rao he will be released from prison on Wednesday after serving a year in pretrial detention, officials said.Ranya Rao, currently lodged in the Bengaluru Central Jail, was arrested in connection with an alleged gold smuggling racket worth Rs 102 crore. The case received widespread attention due to its links with the Kannada film industry and the police department.Although he was earlier granted bail by a special court, his release was delayed as authorities invoked the Foreign Exchange Conservation and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) against him, allowing him to remain behind bars despite the relief.With one year since COFEPOSA’s arrest came into effect, Rao is now eligible for release. According to sources, he is expected to be released from prison this afternoon.The case remains under investigation, and more court proceedings are likely in the coming days. More details about the case are still missing.The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), a nodal agency under the Finance Ministry, invoked the COFEPOSA Act against the actor and other accused on the recommendation of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), investigating the case.The accused were asked to stop smuggling once they were out on bail. The accused is also seen as not cooperating with the investigating agencies, the sources said.Ranya Rao, the step-daughter of senior IPS officer Ramchandra Rao, was arrested on March 3, 2025, for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth over Rs 12.56 crore.The case is being investigated by the DRI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).The state government has constituted a special team headed by a senior IAS officer to probe the role of DGP Ramachandra Rao in the case. A report on this has been submitted to the government. DGP Ramachandra Rao is on suspension.The other accused, Tarun Raju and Sahil Sakaria Jain, have also been booked under the COFEPOSA Act.DRI’s investigation into the gold smuggling case has revealed that the actor was involved in hawala transactions with Jain, the third accused in the case, sources said.The DRI, in its remand petition filed in the Special Economic Offenses Court in connection with Jain’s arrest in the gold smuggling case, had alleged that the jeweler and Ranya Rao were involved in a hawala nexus.Investigations found that with Jain’s help, Ranya Rao dumped 49.6 kg of gold and transferred 38.4 million hawala money to Dubai.“Investigations have revealed that Jain, hailing from Ballari and based in Bengaluru, aided and abetted Ranya Rao in dumping 49.6 kilos of gold worth around Rs 40 crore and transferring hawala money of Rs 38.4 crore to Dubai,” DRI said.
