Gold Smuggling Incident: No Bail for Ranya Rao as Bengaluru Court Grants DRI Custody
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A Bengaluru court has denied bail to Kannada actress Ranya Rao, granting her custody to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in a gold smuggling case. The actress remains in judicial custody as investigations continue into the syndicate's operations.
Key Takeaways
- Ranya Rao remains in custody of DRI.
- Bail application has been put on hold.
- Investigation focuses on national security implications.
- 14.8 kg of gold seized at Bengaluru International Airport.
- Actress claims she was coerced into smuggling.
Bengaluru, March 7 (NationPress) A Bengaluru court, on Friday, issued a ruling that transferred the custody of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who was detained in connection with a gold smuggling case, to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
The Economic Offences Court also chose not to consider her bail application and has put it on hold. Ranya Rao is presently in judicial custody.
The court had previously reserved its decision on the actress's bail plea after hearing arguments and counterarguments in the matter. The DRI strongly opposed the granting of bail to the actress and requested her custody.
The legal representative for the DRI argued that the actress needed to undergo investigation regarding issues that could affect national security and to dismantle the gold smuggling syndicate.
The court acknowledged the DRI’s claim that her custody was essential from March 9 to March 11 to carry out an extensive investigation, considering the suspected involvement of a large smuggling syndicate. It was also argued that bail requests should not be favored in sensitive cases such as this.
Furthermore, the counsel indicated that some information related to the case could not be revealed in an open court, and the DRI would submit findings of the investigation in a sealed envelope to the court, as disclosing them could compromise the investigation.
The DRI stated that it must investigate where the gold was intended to be delivered. Ranya Rao was allegedly used as a courier, and her custody was necessary to examine the involvement of other individuals in the case.
The counsel noted that the DRI has made considerable progress in the investigation since the actress's arrest on Monday night, and law permits the custody of accused individuals in such cases for up to 40 days. The counsel also referenced a Supreme Court ruling regarding this matter.
Conversely, the attorney representing Ranya Rao argued that her custody was unnecessary.
According to sources, Ranya Rao claimed during the investigation that she was blackmailed and compelled to transport the gold, stating this was her first involvement in such activities. However, sources also revealed that she had been under surveillance for an extended period due to suspicious frequent trips to Dubai.
The DRI officials apprehended Ranya Rao after confiscating 14.8 kg of gold from her at the Bengaluru International Airport on Monday night. The agency also recovered ₹2.06 crore worth of gold and ₹2.67 crore in cash from her luxurious Lavelle Road apartment, where she reportedly paid ₹4.5 lakh in rent.
