Bengaluru, Sep 3: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has slapped a ₹102 crore penalty on Kannada actress Ranya Rao for her alleged involvement in a large-scale gold smuggling racket.

Rao was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 while arriving from Dubai, carrying 14.2 kg of undeclared gold.

The DRI also imposed steep fines on her alleged accomplices: hotelier Tarun Kondaraju (₹63 crore), and jewellers Sahil Sakaria Jain and Bharat Kumar Jain (₹56 crore each). On Tuesday, officials served each of the accused a 250-page notice along with a 2,500-page annexure at Bengaluru Central Jail.

Ranya Rao, rumoured to be the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Dr. K Ramachandra Rao, has become the face of one of the most high-profile smuggling cases in recent years. The case has sent shockwaves through Karnataka’s film and political circles, with investigations still unfolding.

Article by: Lipisita Padhi