Supreme Court Upholds Detention of Kannada Actress in Gold Smuggling Case

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has ratified the detention of Kannada film actress Harshavardhini Ranya Rao for her alleged involvement in gold smuggling activities.

The apex court's decision to uphold the preventive detention order, initially passed by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, dismisses the appeals filed by her mother and a co-accused’s family member. Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh emphasized compliance with constitutional mandates, rejecting technical and procedural arguments presented against the detention.

Rao, detained under COFEPOSA provisions, was accused of smuggling and facilitating the disposal of foreign-marked gold bars on multiple occasions, leading to her April 2025 arrest following intelligence reports from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).