Bengaluru gold smuggling: Karnataka court rejects bail to Telugu actor Virat Konduru, cites single-day travel to Dubai on 25 occasions 

Pointing to the “criminal intentions” of Konduru, the court also referred to the DRI allegations that Konduru being a US citizen and possessing an OCI card – which allowed him to travel to Geneva and Bangkok without a visa – was making declarations at the Dubai airport about export of gold to Bangkok and Geneva but instead smuggled it to India “after crossing Dubai customs by handing over the gold” to Rao.

The DRI has alleged that the two actors are part of an international gold smuggling syndicate, which purchases gold in Dubai using funds channelled through hawala routes before using the US passport of Konduru to pass the gold through Dubai customs by showing its final destination as Geneva or Bangkok.

The gold was being smuggled to India by Ranya Rao, the first accused in the case, by concealing it on her person using medical adhesives and bandages after it was cleared through Dubai customs by Konduru, second accused, the DRI has alleged during arguments to counter the bail plea of the Telugu actor.

“Further, the allegations against the accused No.2 as to the travel history disclosing himself having traveled along with the accused No.1 to Dubai and having returned on the same day on 25 earlier occasions justifies the arguments of the complainant agency as to the active role of accused No.2 in the alleged smuggling activity carried out by accused No.1, contrary to the provisions of Customs Act and Baggage Rules,” ruled the special court, while rejecting the bail plea of the Telugu actor.

“On overall examination of the case papers, it transpires that, the investigation is under progress and the allegations against the accused No.2 is of serious in nature as to having assisted and abetted the accused No.1 to smuggle the gold into India weighing 14213.05 grams of gold, though he had knowledge as to the said act being contrary to the Customs Act, at this stage inclines the court to gather the existence of culpable mental state U/s.138A of the Act,” the special magistrate pointed out.

The acts of Konduru “inclines the court to gather the criminal intention of the accused No.2 to deceive the Government of India by evading the payment of Customs Duty at this stage of proceedings and as such this court is not inclined to extend the discretionary relief of granting bail,” the special court ruled.

The court also noted the arguments of the counsel for the DRI that Konduru actively participated in the smuggling of gold and “travelled from Hyderabad to Dubai on the date of incident i.e., on 03.03.2025 and returned back to Hyderabad on the same day, after having handed over the gold to the accused No.1 at Dubai…”

The court took into account the fact that Konduru’s tickets for his travel to Dubai and back to Hyderabad were paid by Ranya Rao.

DRI alleged that Rao had evaded ₹ 4.83 crore of Customs duty while attempting to smuggle into Bengaluru 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹ 12.56 crore. It also seized ₹ 2.67 crore in cash and ₹ 2.07 crore of jewellery from the house of the actress, during raids after her arrest at the airport on March 3.

Although the actress had claimed in statements to the DRI that she received the 14.2 kg consignment of gold from a stranger outside the Dubai airport, the probe reveals that she played an active role in the smuggling operation which went beyond that of a mule.

Rao is alleged to have travelled to Dubai 27 times since January 2025. The March 3 trip, where Ranya Rao was arrested, began with a 4 AM flight from Bengaluru to Dubai and a same day return flight with the gold which landed at 6.20 PM.

The special court for economic offences in Bengaluru rejected Rao’s bail plea on March 14, citing her possession of a “Resident Identity Card of UAE” and “history of travel to Dubai on 27 occasions since January 2025”. The actress has claimed that she was a “real estate freelancer” in Dubai to explain her frequent trips to the UAE.

The actress is the step-daughter of K Ramachandra Rao, a 1993 batch IPS officer who is a Director General of Police in Karnataka. She is alleged to have used the VIP services available to her stepfather at the Bengaluru airport to smuggle gold in the form of gold ingots that were strapped on her body on March 3.

The IPS officer, who is considered to be close to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara, was asked by the state government to go on “compulsory leave” on March 15 in the wake of multiple probes by Central agencies into the gold smuggling racket.

Rao and Konduru who have known each other for over a decade, are reported to have been partners in a diamond trading company in UAE and much of the Dubai document work for gold consignments was allegedly done using the firm.

Both actors did not have successful film careers with Rao acting in three films, including her debut Kannada film ‘Manikya’ in 2014 as a 22-year-old heroine, while Konduru acted in a 2018 Telugu film ‘Parichayam’ in a lead role.