April 2, 2025: Actor Tarun Raju’s bail application will be heard today after he was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for his alleged involvement in a gold smuggling case alongside actress Ranya Rao.
Raju, who is facing charges in connection with the smuggling operation, will have his case presented in the CCH 64th court in Bengaluru. His legal counsel, Advocate Bipin Hegde, will represent him during the hearing.
Alongside Raju, another individual, Sahil Jain, who is also implicated in the case, will be produced before the Economic Offences Court. Jain has been in judicial custody until now. The case is related to the smuggling of gold into India, and both Raju and Rao’s alleged involvement has come under intense scrutiny following their arrests.
Meanwhile, Ranya Rao, who was arrested on March 3 at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport for allegedly carrying gold, has approached the Karnataka High Court for bail after her previous plea was rejected by a sessions court. Advocate BS Girish, representing Rao, filed the petition, which the High Court will review next week.
Rao’s arrest came after officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) reportedly found her carrying gold, leading to an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This FIR is part of the investigation into a larger gold smuggling ring. The complaint filed by Abhishek Chandra Gupta, the Additional Director of DRI, also highlights the arrest of two foreign nationals at Mumbai Airport on March 6 for attempting to smuggle 21.28 kg of gold worth ₹18.92 crore into India.
The investigation continues as the authorities attempt to piece together the details of the gold smuggling network, with both the DRI and CBI playing a key role in the ongoing efforts to uncover those responsible.