Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in Bengaluru against Kannada actor Ranya Rao and two others in a high-profile money laundering case linked to alleged gold smuggling.

Alongside Rao, the prosecution complaint names Tarun Konduru, reportedly the actor’s associate, and Sahil Sakariya Jain, a Bellary-based gold dealer. The chargesheet was submitted before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Bengaluru.

Arrest And Seizure

Harshavardini Ranya, popularly known as Ranya Rao, 32, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on 3 March 2025 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai.

Officials recovered 14.2 kg of gold bars, valued at Rs 12.56 crore, from her possession.

Alleged Smuggling Network

According to the ED, its investigation uncovered that 127.28 kg of gold, worth approximately Rs 102.55 crore, was smuggled into India between March 2024 and March 2025. The smuggled gold was allegedly sold in the domestic market through a network of intermediaries and jewellers, generating substantial cash proceeds.

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The agency claimed that the cash was routed through hawala channels both in India and abroad, and subsequently layered through multiple bank accounts and entities to give the appearance of legitimate business transactions.

The ED described the operation as an “organised and structured” mechanism involving the procurement of gold abroad, illegal importation into India, cash-based sales, and laundering of the proceeds through banking and hawala networks.

“Such activities not only undermine the legal trade and financial systems but also erode public trust in institutions meant to regulate cross-border transactions,” the ED statement said.

During the investigation, the ED attached assets worth Rs 34 crore belonging to Rao.