Bengaluru – Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said on Thursday that he had not received full details about the Customs Department’s decision to levy an Rs 89‑crore fine on actor Ranya Rao over an alleged gold‑smuggling case, and that he would respond once he had the information.
The fine follows Rao’s arrest by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3, 2025, after 14 kg of gold was recovered from her possession. A COFEPOSA case was registered, and a 399‑page investigation report was issued by Customs. The report alleges that Rao, her associate Tarun and three others smuggled 113 kg of gold from abroad between March 7, 2024 and February 18, 2025.
Rao was granted bail by the Special Court for Economic Offences in February, but the Customs Department has now issued the penalty order. The case remains under investigation, and Kharge said he would react once he receives the full information.
