Efforts by Ranya Rao — the prime accused in the gold smuggling case that was unearthed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) — to project herself as a “mule” who was working under duress have fallen flat on their face as investigations have revealed a well-entrenched nexus that has been in operation for years.
DRI sources said actors Tarun Raj Konduru and Ranya Rao allegedly operated a gold trading company in Dubai named Vira Diamonds Trading LLC, and were college mates. They became equal business partners in 2023, establishing Vira Diamonds in Dubai. Konduru, named accused no. 2 in the case, was a working partner and handled the operations on the actress’ behalf. During Konduru’s interrogation, DRI officials were able to track that Rao used her family’s connections to expand her gold trade internationally.
The actor purportedly had strong ties to the gold business with important clients in Bangkok and Geneva and reportedly bought gold bars from her wholesale suppliers in Doha and Geneva, paying in foreign currencies through Dubai accounts. The DRI is now scrutinising these overseas transactions and customs declarations to assess the scale of the alleged smuggling operation.
The plan, according to DRI sources, was to import gold into Dubai, invest in Dubai, and later divert the gold to India. Ranya Rao was the primary investor, funding the company with Rs. 8-10 lakh, which she did through her HDFC Bank account.
Sources said, Rao’s investment helped her obtain a Dubai residence card, which allowed her visa-free access to the UAE, making frequent gold shipments easier.
The sources added that the firm was allegedly engaged in importing gold into Dubai, taking advantage of the UAE’s zero-import duty on gold. From April 2024, gold imports were said to be coming primarily from Geneva and Bangkok.
Ranya allegedly also took advantage of Konduru’s US passport status. She would clear gold consignments in his name at Dubai Customs, as he did not need a visa. Records of trips and account activity reveal that Konduru’s flights and hotel stays were often booked through Rao’s American Express Card.
The DRI investigation also revealed a major financial fraud in the smuggling racket. The remand application mentions an instance where a Dubai seller failed to deliver gold, making Vira Diamonds incur a loss of Rs 1.7 crore. According to DRI officials, Rao arranged this payment via hawala from India to Dubai.
Ranya Rao, while claiming to sell gold in Dubai, record-wise seems to have been importing gold into India instead. She is said to have taken a minimum of 27 trips over the course of the last year, each trip purportedly enabling her to import gold without informing the customs. The DRI has recovered important documents from her Bangalore residence, such as two customs declarations from Dubai dated November 13 and December 20, 2024. These documents were marked with the statement that Vira Diamonds was exporting gold to Geneva, but the investigators found out that the gold shipments never arrived at the purported location in Geneva.
During her questioning, the Kannada film actress is said to have told the DRI that she was simply a ‘mule’ and was being forced to move gold. She alleged that the consignment was handed to her by some stranger from a VoIP call at Dubai International Airport.
Nonetheless, the DRI has deemed her defence to be implausible, as the finances and businesses involved have comprehensive records that directly connect her to the smuggling activity. A letter was also sent by her to the DRI chief, alleging that she was being set up and stating that officials made her sign the seizure report under duress. She even alleged physical assault during questioning.
DRI investigators said, Ranya Rao claimed, she received calls from unknown numbers, directing her to smuggle the gold. During questioning, she stated that she learnt how to conceal gold by watching YouTube videos.
Playing out her ‘mule angle’, she claimed to the investigators that she was instructed to collect the gold from Gate A of Terminal 3 at Dubai Airport, where a tall man in a gown handed it over to her and asked her to transport it. She insisted, this was her first attempt and denied any prior involvement in gold smuggling.
However, the fact that Ranya booked round-trip tickets from Bangalore to Dubai, using her husband, Jatin Hukkeri’s credit card, also indicated her being in the know of things. It also raised suspicion about Hukkeri’s alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.
DRI searched nine locations across Bangalore linked to Hukkeri and his businesses. He later obtained an interim order from the Karnataka high court restraining DRI from arresting him.
The Economic Offences court rejected Ranya’s bail application, stating that the “alleged offence has serious ramifications on the entire economy of the country”, as well as “poses a serious threat to genuine gold trades”.
The court stated, “as the facts and circumstances leading to the case on hand are detrimental to the national security and the revenue of the country, this court is not inclined to exercise the discretion of granting bail in favour of the accused no. 1 (Ranya Rao) at this juncture,” while rejecting her bail plea.
The actress was remanded to judicial custody until March 24. She was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on March 3 while carrying 14.2 kilograms of gold. Later, on searching her residence, investigators found gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash.