Ranya Rao jailed for gold smuggling under COFEPOSA; no bail for Kannada actor
Ranya Rao
has been sentenced to one year in prison under the stringent COFEPOSA Act in connection with a gold smuggling case. The Advisory Board overseeing the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) recently ruled that she will not be eligible for bail throughout the duration of her detention.
Previously, on May 20, a city court had granted default bail to both Ranya and her co-accused Tarun Raju, after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to file a chargesheet within the required timeframe.
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However, despite the bail being sanctioned on a bond of ₹2 lakh along with surety conditions, both remained in custody due to a preventive detention order under COFEPOSA, which allows for detention of up to a year without formal charges, solely based on suspicion of smuggling.
The case dates back to March, when Ranya arrived from Dubai and attempted to pass through the green channel at Kempegowda International Airport, which is designated for passengers with no dutiable goods. Her nervous demeanor raised suspicion among DRI officials, prompting a thorough search conducted by female officers.
During the search, authorities recovered 14.2 kilograms of gold worth approximately ₹12.56 crore. She was taken into custody immediately.
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Ranya's prior attempts to secure bail were rejected multiple times—twice by local courts and later by the Karnataka High Court.
[Inputs from PTI]
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