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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Bengaluru gold smuggling case: After ED and CBI probes, Kannada actor Ranya Rao now faces I-T investigation
The Income Tax (I-T) department will investigate the wealth of Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case, with a special court for economic offences in Bengaluru Monday allowing its application to question her in prison. The special court dismissed the objections raised by Rao's lawyer and permitted the I-T department to question her in prison from 10 am to 5 pm between June 11 and June 13. The assistant director of I-T (Investigations) applied last week seeking court permission to record the statement of Rao, 33, at the Bengaluru Central Prison regarding her earnings from alleged gold smuggling activities. The I-T department argued that the actor, who was arrested on March 3 from the Bengaluru International Airport for smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore, was involved in the smuggling activity by using resources generated from 'unexplained sources and cash'. It sought to probe the unexplained sources by recording her statement in prison over a three-day period. B S Girish, the counsel for Rao, argued that the provisions of the Customs Act and the I-T Act are distinct, and so she cannot be compelled to give a statement under the provisions of the I-T Act, which would be contrary to Article 22 of the Constitution. The special public prosecutor of the I-T department, however, argued that I-T authorities are empowered to investigate and that she needs to be probed about the huge cash she allegedly mobilised and circulated for acquiring and selling gold from Dubai. 'The objections of the accused No.1 as to the statement U/s.131(1) of the Act is contrary to Article 22 of the Indian Constitution cannot be accepted as the Act very much permits the recording of statement as a part of investigation, in view of the applicant being vested with powers of a civil court,' the special court ruled Monday. 'The other objections as to the Customs Act and IT Act being distinct enactments in itself will not come in the way to permit the applicant/Department to investigate into the allegations against the accused No.1 on the basis of credible information,' the special court said. Ranya Rao gold smuggling case timeline On May 3, The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Rao from the airport on her arrival from Dubai with concealed on her body. On March 9, the DRI arrested Telugu actor Tarun Konduru, a US passport holder, after he was identified as an alleged accomplice of Rao in the gold smuggling racket. On March 26, the DRI arrested Sahil Jain, 27, a hawala dealer and associate of Rao, who allegedly received the gold smuggled by the actors and transferred funds through the hawala route to Dubai for the purchase of more gold. The DRI alleged that Jain played a central role in disposing of 49.6 kg of gold worth Rs 40.13 crore, smuggled from Dubai by Rao, between November 2024 and February 2025. It also claimed that Jain transferred Rs 39.39 crore of Rao's earnings to Dubai. Rao is the stepdaughter of the senior Karnataka IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao. She is alleged to have used airport protocol services available to her father to escape customs checks and detection at the Bengaluru airport on arrival from Dubai. The DRI also alleged that Rao and her associates smuggled 100 kg of gold in the 2024-25 period. It said Jain is part of a sophisticated smuggling network operating in India and abroad. A prosecution complaint was filed against him by the agency in a Kolkata court on March 5, 202, in a case involving the smuggling of 41.64 kg of gold. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are also investigating the gold smuggling case from criminal and money laundering angles and have registered cases. The ED recently carried out searches on properties, including offices of an education trust belonging to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on the grounds that there had been monetary transactions between the trust and Rao. The trust, headquartered in Tumakuru in Karnataka, is alleged to have made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards her credit card bills. Courts in Bengaluru granted Rao, Konduru, and Jain statutory bail after the DRI failed to file prosecution complaints (chargesheets) against them within 60 days of their arrest. However, the accused trio remain in prison on account of the Union Department of Revenue invoking the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974, against them on April 22. The COFEPOSA Act allows the preventive detention of persons for a period of up to one year. Last month, her mother H P Rohini filed a habeas corpus plea in the Karnataka High Court over the continued detention of her daughter. The matter was, however, adjourned by two weeks on June 3 after the court was informed that the advisory panel for confirming the COFEPOSA detention order of Rao was yet to meet.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Explained: The 1950 Act That Lets Assam Expel Foreigners Directly
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the state was actively considering using a long-forgotten law from 1950 to directly expel illegal migrants without going through the courts. The law in question, the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, empowers even a district commissioner to issue an order for the immediate removal of a person identified as an illegal immigrant. What Is The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950? The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, was enacted by the Parliament in the early years of independence to address a pressing crisis in Assam. During the years after the Partition in 1947, Assam witnessed a massive influx of immigrants from East Bengal, which later became East Pakistan and then Bangladesh. The migration was largely driven by communal violence, displacement and the open border. To tackle this issue, the IEAA was passed on 1 March 1950. It gave the Central Government the power to remove any person or group from Assam if their presence harmed public interest or affected the rights of Scheduled Tribes. The law also allowed the government to give these powers to local officers, such as district commissioners, so they could issue expulsion orders directly, without going through the courts. The law was applicable across India but tailored to Assam. Over time, the law was mostly ignored. When the Assam Movement started in 1979, led by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), people again raised strong concerns about illegal migration. This led to the Assam Accord in 1985, which decided that anyone who came into Assam after March 24, 1971, would be treated as a foreigner. This Act predates several key legislations that are currently used to deal with immigration issues in India, such as the Foreigners Act, 1946; Section 6A of the Citizenship Act; the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964; the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; and the Passport Act, 1967. In October 2024, the Supreme Court of India upheld Section 6A of the Citizenship Act and clearly said that the 1950 Act was still valid. A Constitution Bench of five judges pointed out that the law allowed even a district commissioner to order the removal of illegal immigrants. The court said this Act can work alongside the Citizenship Act and the Foreigners Act to detect and deport illegal migrants. What Himanta Sarma Said "For whatever reason, our lawyers had not informed us about [the law], and we weren't aware of it either," Mr Sarma said, as reported by The Times Of India. Now that this has come to attention, the government is seriously discussing it, he said. He added that the state had already begun preparations over the last few days to act on this provision. "This time, if someone is identified as a foreigner, we will not send them to a tribunal. We will straightaway push them back." He clarified that those who have already moved court will not be affected by this. Himanta Sarma said that the process of identifying foreigners, which had slowed down due to complications around the National Register of Citizens (NRC), will now be sped up by using the legal powers available under this old but still valid Act.
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
12-year-old in court after killing 14-year-old in Brakpan collision
For children aged between 12 and 14 years, the law introduces a presumption that they lack criminal capacity, unless proven otherwise by the state. A 12-year-old child has appeared before the Brakpan Magistrates Court on charges of culpable homicide and driving without a license after allegedly causing the death of a 14-year-old boy. According to reports, the younger child was driving his parents' vehicle when the fatal collision took place in Brakpan, Gauteng, on Saturday. Details of the fatal collision According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the 12-year-old was behind the wheel when he ran a stop sign and struck the teenage victim. 'It is alleged that on 7 June 2025, the minor was driving his parents' vehicle at the corner of Madeley and Northdeene Street when he drove over a 14-year-old boy and bumped into a wall. 'The 14-year-old boy sustained injuries and was declared dead on the scene,' said NPA Regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana. Following the collision, the younger child was arrested. 'The 12-year-old was then taken to the Brakpan charge office and later released into the care of his parents by police,' Mahanjana added. He was only released into his parents' custody on Sunday, 8 June 2025. ALSO READ: Four taken to hospital after collision on R328 Court proceedings and legal considerations During Monday's court appearance, the minor was accompanied by his guardian, as required by law. The matter has been postponed until 28 August 2025 to allow for a comprehensive assessment of the child's criminal capacity. The law introduces a presumption that children aged between 12 and 14 lack criminal capacity unless the state proves otherwise. 'A child falling in this age group can only be arrested as a last resort,' LegalWise stated. Current legislation directs that 14-year-olds and above can typically stand trial in South African courts. The Constitutional Court firmly established the principle that child offenders must be treated differently from adults, a view that was solidified when the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 came into effect on 1 April 2010. This Act introduced a separate criminal justice system tailored specifically for children, aiming to address their unique needs and circumstances within the legal framework. LegalWise explains that 'under the Child Justice Act, a child under the age of 12 years has no criminal capacity and cannot be prosecuted or arrested for an offence. It does not mean that there will be no consequences if the child is found guilty.' The Act instead 'offers alternatives for rehabilitation by diverting a child offender from a prison sentence to community service, counselling and therapy.' This reflects a significant shift in focus—from punishment to rehabilitation, acknowledging that children are still developing and should be given the opportunity to reform. NOW READ: Trio convicted for brutal farm attack in Eastern Cape
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Arrested journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao taken to Guntur govt. hospital for health checkup
Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, senior journalist working in Sakshi TV, who was arrested on alleged broadcasting of a controversial allegation on women fraternity, was brought to the Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH) for medical check-up on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). He was arrested in Hyderabad on Monday (June 9) around noon and shifted to Nallapadu Police Station in Guntur by midnight. In the morning on Tuesday (June 10), he was brought to hospital for the health checkup, before production him in the court. The criminal case was filed on him at Thullur Police Station but he was brought to Nallapadu Police Station to avoid unforseen problems. The police in Guntur told The Hindu that he would be produced before Mangalagiri Court for further proceedings. Cases have been registered against the accused including Mr. Krishnam Raju, Mr. Srinivasa Rao and Sakshi TV management under Section 3(1)(u) of SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act (POA) Act, 1989, Section 67 of IT Act-2000-2008, Section 79 (Word, gesture or an act intended to outrage the modesty of women), Section 196 (Promoting enmity between different groups) and other charges including 353(2), 299, 356(2), 61(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). While Mr. Srinivasa Rao was arrested, the police are still on the hunt for Mr. Krishnam Raju, who is absconding. The police informed that Mr. Raju, who allegedly made derogatory remarks during the TV debate, escaped from his residence and will be arrested as soon as possible.
Malaysiakini
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Azalina moots UK-style 'Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act'
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said has proposed introducing a new legislation following the bus crash which claimed the lives of 15 university students. She said it is time for the government to assess the effectiveness of existing law enforcement, in addition to considering the need to amend the Penal Code or introduce a new Act.
