Karnataka HC Orders Media Restraint in Actress Ranya Rao’s Gold Smuggling Case
- Posted on March 19, 2025
- News
- By Arijit Dutta
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The Karnataka High Court has restricted the media from publishing defamatory content about actress Ranya Rao and her father amid a gold smuggling probe. The court reinforced prior orders after the family alleged biased reporting. The case, involving gold worth ₹12.56 crore, is set for its next hearing on April 8.
The Karnataka High Court has directed the central government to prevent media outlets from publishing defamatory or misleading content about actress Harshavardini Ranya Rao and her father, K. Ramchandra Rao, a senior police officer. The directive comes amid the ongoing investigation into a gold smuggling case in which Ranya Rao has been arrested.
The case originated from an incident at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, where authorities allegedly confiscated gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from the actress. Subsequent searches at her residence reportedly uncovered additional gold jewelry valued at ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash. Following her arrest, Rao was placed in judicial custody.
On March 12, Ranya Rao’s mother, H.P. Rohini, sought relief from a civil court, which issued an interim order restraining the media from making statements against the actress until June 2. However, the family argued that despite the court’s ruling, some media outlets continued to circulate sensationalized and damaging reports. This prompted her father to approach the High Court, leading to a broader directive reinforcing restrictions on defamatory coverage.
During the hearing, the court cited a similar case involving Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, where it had previously urged media houses to maintain journalistic integrity. The court has now issued an emergent notice to media houses named in the petition and hinted at the possibility of setting guidelines on media conduct in high-profile investigations.
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The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on April 8, with the court expected to deliberate on further measures to ensure fair media coverage while protecting the rights of the accused.
