Gold Smuggling Case: Judicial Custody of Ranya Rao and Two Others Extended Until April 21
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Synopsis
A special court in Bengaluru has extended the judicial custody of actress Ranya Rao, along with two others involved in a gold smuggling case, until April 21. The investigation reveals complex hawala transactions linked to their activities.
Key Takeaways
- Judicial custody extended for Ranya Rao and two others.
- Investigation led by multiple government agencies.
- Involvement in hawala transactions confirmed.
- Amount of gold smuggled valued at over Rs 12.56 crore.
- Special team formed to investigate police officer's involvement.
Bengaluru, April 7 (NationPress) A special court in Bengaluru has extended the judicial custody of Kannada actress and principal suspect in the gold smuggling case, Ranya Rao, until April 21. The special court dedicated to economic offences has also prolonged the custody of the second suspect, Tarun Raju, and the third suspect, jeweller Sahil Sakaria Jain, until the same date.
All suspects are currently held at Bengaluru Central Jail.
The court denied bail for Tarun Raju and is scheduled to review Jain's bail request on April 9.
Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of senior police officer Ramchandra Rao, was apprehended on March 3 for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kilograms of gold worth over Rs 12.56 crore.
The investigation is ongoing, being conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The state government has formed a special team led by a senior IAS officer to examine the involvement of DGP Ramachandra Rao. Reports regarding this matter have been submitted to the government, according to sources.
The DRI's investigation into the gold smuggling case has revealed that Ranya Rao was engaging in hawala transactions in collaboration with Jain, the third accused.
In its remand application to the Special Court for Economic Offences linked to Jain's arrest, the DRI claims that the jeweller and Ranya Rao were part of a hawala network.
Investigations disclosed that with Jain's assistance, Ranya Rao managed to dispose of 49.6 kg of gold and transferred Rs 38.4 crore of hawala funds to Dubai.
The DRI stated: "Investigations have shown that Jain, originally from Ballari and now settled in Bengaluru, facilitated and supported Ranya Rao in selling off 49.6 kilograms of gold valued at approximately Rs 40 crore and transferring hawala money amounting to Rs 38.4 crore to Dubai."
