Ranya Rao’s Gold Smuggling Case: DRI uncovers explosive details in Tarun's interrogation

Actress Ranya Rao has been arrested in connection with a gold smuggling case on March 3, and her arrest has garnered significant attention. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) investigation into actress Ranya Rao's alleged involvement in a gold smuggling case has revealed shocking details. It has been revealed that Telugu actor and entrepreneur Tarun Raj Konduru, also known as Virat Konduru (30), is also implicated in the case. According to Federal.com, during the interrogation of Tarun Raj Konduru, it was uncovered that the duo had established a company in Dubai to buy and sell gold. The company, named Veera Diamonds Trading LLC, was founded in 2023 with an equal 50:50 partnership between Ranya and Tarun. While Ranya acted as the primary investor, Tarun took charge of managing the business operations. The company's core objective was to import gold into Dubai and sell it in the local market.
According to the investigation, Ranya Rao was the sole financial backer of the venture, investing approximately ₹8-10 lakh through her HDFC Bank account for setting up the company. Meanwhile, Tarun played an active role as the operational partner. The DRI officials discovered that payments to dealers in Dubai were made in foreign currency. However, the venture faced a major setback when a Dubai-based dealer failed to deliver the promised gold, resulting in a financial loss of ₹1.7 crore. It was further revealed that Ranya had transferred this amount from India to Dubai through the Hawala route, raising concerns about illegal financial transactions.
The investigation also highlighted Ranya Rao's strong connections in the international gold market, particularly with dealers in Geneva and Bangkok. She was reportedly purchasing gold from these locations and had declared to customs officials that the gold was being transported to Geneva under her name. It is believed that since April 2024, gold procurement has been actively taking place from either Geneva or Bangkok, thereby intensifying suspicions around the scale of the operation, the report added,
Tarun's interrogation also exposed that Ranya Rao leveraged her family's connections to strengthen her dealings in the international gold market. The DRI is now scrutinizing these overseas transactions and declarations to determine the full extent of the alleged smuggling network. These revelations have heightened the complexity of the investigation, as authorities work to trace the financial trail and verify the legitimacy of the business operations.