Harshvardini Ranya, a Kannada film actress and stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on March 3 for attempting to sneak in 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.56 crore. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stopped her moments after she landed from Dubai and discovered 14 gold bricks tightly fastened to her legs with adhesive tape.

Investigators are delving into how she bypassed Dubai airport’s stringent screening. They suspect insider involvement in smuggling operations and are tracing the final recipient of the contraband. Her extensive travel history—25 trips abroad in a year, including four in just two weeks—had raised red flags, leading authorities to monitor her movements.

She allegedly exploited VIP privileges to avoid regular security checks, with a police protocol officer facilitating her passage. Further scrutiny of her travel sponsors, accommodations, and payments is underway.

On March 4, DRI officials raided her upscale Lavelle Road residence, seizing gold ornaments valued at ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash. The total confiscated assets amount to ₹17.29 crore.

Brought before the Economic Offences Court, she admitted to possessing 17 gold bars but withheld details of her international trips. The court remanded her in judicial custody until March 18.

Ranya, who debuted in Sandalwood in 2014, married architect Jatin Hukkeri in November 2024 after a whirlwind romance.