Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) caught her smuggling gold bars weighing 14.2 kg, valued at Rs 14.56 crore. She had arrived from Dubai when she was arrested.
Bengaluru: Today, 1st April, Actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested last month in a gold smuggling case, has now approached the Karnataka High Court for bail. This comes after a sessions court rejected her bail request on March 27.
ALSO READ: Gold Smuggling Case || Bengaluru Sessions Court Rejects Ranya Rao’s Bail Plea
According to sources, the Karnataka High Court may take up her bail plea this or next week.
Ranya Rao, who is the stepdaughter of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ramachandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) caught her smuggling gold bars weighing 14.2 kg, valued at Rs 14.56 crore. She had arrived from Dubai when she was apprehended.
Reports say that Ms. Rao came under the scanner of DRI officials after making four trips to Dubai within 15 days.
During the sessions court hearing, the prosecution argued that Ranya Rao admitted to using hawala networks to purchase gold. Officials have now initiated a judicial investigation to uncover further financial irregularities in the case.
Tarun Raj, who is said to be an associate of Ms. Rao, is the second accused in the case. The prosecution alleges that she sold the smuggled gold through a merchant named Sahil Jain, who was also arrested last month. So far, three people have been arrested in connection with this case.
DRI lawyer Madhu Rao revealed, “Mr Raj and Ms Rao travelled together to Dubai at least 26 times; they would leave in the morning and return by evening.”
Sources have reported that the actress concealed gold in her clothes and even wore some of it to avoid detection. Following her arrest, investigators searched her house and found gold jewellery worth over Rs 2 crore along with cash amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.
Ms. Rao’s stepfather, IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, has denied any involvement in the crime.
Expressing his shock, he said, “I am shocked and devastated by the news of my stepdaughter being arrested on smuggling charges.”
In a statement, he emphasized that he has had an unblemished career and was unaware of his stepdaughter’s activities.
He said, “There has been no black mark on my career, and I was not in touch with my stepdaughter since she got married four months ago.”
He also clarified that he had no knowledge about her business dealings or those of her husband, Jatin Hukkeri, stating, “I was unaware of her and her husband Jatin Hukkeri’s business dealings.”
Now that Ms. Rao has applied for bail in the Karnataka High Court, legal experts are closely watching how the case unfolds. If her bail plea is heard this week or next, the court will decide whether she remains in DRI custody or is granted temporary relief.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
