Ranya Rao may be released soon as preventive detention nears end

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like A Kannada film actor accused in a large-scale gold smuggling case is expected to be released from custody this week after completing a one-year preventive detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act, according to officials familiar with the investigation. Ranya RaoRanya Rao, also known as Harshavardhini Ranya, was arrested in March 2025 and placed under preventive detention on April 22 that year. The detention period has now concluded, and enforcement agencies cannot extend custody under the same provisions, officials said. An officer said she may be released later in the day or by Thursday, after her legal team completed pending surety requirements tied to the regular bail granted earlier. “Despite securing bail months ago, she remained in custody due to the Cofeposa order,” the officer said. Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, has been accused of involvement in a gold smuggling operation valued at more than ₹102 crore. Investigators allege that over 100 kilograms of gold was smuggled from Dubai to Bengaluru between 2024 and 2025. Officials associated with the case said the operation may have involved more than 127 kilograms of gold transported into India over the course of a year through a coordinated network. The gold was allegedly moved into the domestic market using intermediaries, including handlers and jewellers. The case has been handled by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which described the operation as one of the more significant smuggling networks uncovered in recent years. According to investigators, the network relied on multiple carriers and a structured distribution chain to move gold across borders and into local markets. Rao and another accused, identified as Sahil Jain, were detained under Cofeposa provisions in April last year for their alleged roles in facilitating the operation. Two associates are also expected to be released along with her following the completion of their detention periods, officals said. The preventive detention orders were challenged but later upheld by higher courts, including the Supreme Court, which declined to intervene, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the scale of the suspected smuggling activities. Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics.