ED files charge sheet in gold smuggling case linked to actress Ranya Rao
ED files charge sheet in gold smuggling case linked to actress Ranya Rao
The ED filed a charge sheet in a money laundering probe, accusing Kannada actress Ranya Rao and two others in a 127 kg gold smuggling racket worth over ₹102 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a large-scale gold smuggling and money laundering case, naming Kannada actress Ranya Rao and two associates, Tarun Konduru and Sahil Sakariya Jain. Investigators say a total of 127.287 kg of gold valued at about ₹102.55 crore was smuggled into India between March 2024 and March 2025 and then disposed of in the domestic market through a network of handlers and jewellers.
Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of a police officer of rank, was intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru on March 3, 2025, with 14.213 kg of concealed 24-carat foreign-origin gold valued at ₹12.56 crore. A subsequent search of Rao’s residence recovered ₹2.67 crore in unaccounted cash and gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore.
The ED’s prosecution complaint, filed by Investigation Unit-II in Bengaluru under PMLA, names Rao and the two associates in connection with the smuggling and money laundering network. Investigations indicate that the illicit gold was moved through a network of handlers and jewellers, with sale proceeds laundered via layered financial transactions. The ED notes that this case is part of a broader crackdown involving multiple central agencies.
The agency’s action is tied to a CBI case registered on 7 March 2025 following a DRI complaint, underscoring the cross-agency effort to dismantle the operation. The investigation period spans from March 2024 to March 2025.
