The investigation into the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao and Telugu actor Tarun Konduru (also known as Virat Konduru) has shown that 100 kg of gold was smuggled into India from Dubai. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) shared this information with the Karnataka High Court during a bail hearing for the two accused.
How the Smuggling Operation Was Exposed
The DRI explained that by checking the Customs records from Dubai and the gold received by hawala dealer Sahil Jain (who was also arrested), they found out that 100 kg of gold was smuggled. This was in addition to the 14.2 kg of gold found with Ranya Rao at Bengaluru airport on March 3.
The investigation also revealed that the actors made 31 trips to Dubai since early 2024, with 11 of those trips linked to gold smuggling. They had made 25 single-day trips to Dubai, the court was told.
The DRI lawyer, Madhu N Rao, told the judge that they had found four more customs record from 2024 during their investigation. The court asked the DRI lawyer to share all the details of these records.
Court Questions About Special Airport Services for Ranya Rao
The high court asked the DRI lawyer how Ranya Rao was able to get special services at the Bengaluru airport, which are usually given to government officials, when she returned from the US. The lawyer explained that Ranya got these services because her stepfather, Ramachandra Rao (a senior police officer), had given instructions to a police constable at the airport to provide her with the special protocol.
Legal Arguments in the Case
Ranya Rao’s lawyer argued that the DRI did not follow the proper search and arrest procedures required by the Customs Act when they stopped Ranya on March 3 after her return from Dubai. On the other hand, Virat Konduru’s lawyer said that his client was not involved in the smuggling activities.
Allegations of Smuggling Through Dubai
The DRI has accused Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru of using Konduru’s US passport to smuggle large amounts of gold through Dubai Customs. They claimed the gold was being sent to Geneva, Bangkok, and the US.
The high court will review the case again on Tuesday.
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