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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Gold smuggling case: Actor Tarun Konduru's mother moves Karnataka HC against his detention under Cofeposa law
The mother of Telugu film actor Tarun Konduru, who was arrested in connection with the probe into the Bengaluru gold smuggling racket, has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to declare as illegal his detention for a year under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Cofeposa). The plea is likely to be heard this week. Rama Rao, the mother of Tarun Konduru alias Virat Konduru, 36, moved the court with a habeas corpus petition last week after a judicial advisory board – which reviews detentions under the Cofeposa law – upheld an April 22 detention order of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau under the Union Ministry of Finance. Rama has sought an order from the high court declaring the April 22 detention order 'illegal and void.' In May, a special court for economic offences had granted statutory bail to the actor and sureties were posted by the family for his release, but the Cofeposa detention has prevented it. Tarun has been lodged in a Bengaluru prison since March. Tarun, who is the son of a prominent Bengaluru businessman, was arrested on March 9 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) after he was found to be linked to Kannada actress Ranya Rao alias Harshavardini Ranya, 33. The actress was arrested from Bengaluru airport on March 4 while smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore from Dubai. Ranya, Konduru and a hawala agent Sahil Jain are alleged to have been part of a large racket which smuggled nearly 100 kg of gold into India within a span of 18 months. All three were detained under the Cofeposa law in April. Ranya's mother had approached the high court on May 12 with a habeas corpus petition for her release from Cofeposa detention. The plea is likely to be heard this week.
Hans India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
K'taka HC asks Centre to file objection on Ranya Rao's petition challenging COFEPOSA Act
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Union government to file its objections within two weeks in connection with the petition filed by jailed actress Ranya Rao, challenging the invocation of the COFEPOSA Act against her in the gold smuggling case. The Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), has been invoked against arrested Kannada actress Ranya Rao. The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), a nodal agency under the Ministry of Finance, has invoked the COFEPOSA Act against the actress and other accused in the gold smuggling case as per the recommendation of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), probing the case. Following the invocation of the COFEPOSA Act, the accused Ranya Rao will have no chance to get bail for a period of one year. The bench has asked the Central government to file the objections within two weeks and adjourned the matter to June 3. A vacation bench of Justice H.P. Sandesh and Justice Ramachandra Huddar gave the directions while looking into the petitin by Ranya Rao seeking to declare that imposing the COFEPOSA Act against her is illegal and viod ab initio (void from the beginning. In legal contexts, it means that a contract, agreement, or other action is considered invalid and has no legal effect from the moment it was created). Deputy Solicitor General H. Shanthi Bhushan, representing the government of India, submitted that he needed four weeks' time to file objections. Senior counsel Chandra Shekara. K. appeared for Ranya Rao. Ranya Rao is presently lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, following the cancellation of bail petitions. Her petition submitted that the constitutional provisions are violated in her case, and the grounds of her detention are erroneous and display a lack of application of mind. Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of senior police officer Ramchandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kilograms of gold, valued at over Rs 12.56 crore. Ranya Rao and the other two accused in the case are presently lodged at the Bengaluru Central Prison.
India Today
26-04-2025
- India Today
Actor Ranya Rao charged under stringent anti-smuggling law, faces 1 year in jail
The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) has invoked the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974, against Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was allegedly caught smuggling 14.8 kg of gold at Bengaluru airport on March order issued on April 22, 2025, by Anupam Prakash, Joint Secretary, COFEPOSA Wing, of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, said that the Act has been invoked against Ranya Rao 'with a view to preventing her from smuggling goods, engaging in transporting, concealing and keeping smuggled goods in future.' advertisementThe COFEPOSA Act allows for preventive detention without bail for up to one year. The court has currently reserved its order on granting bail. In March, anti-smuggling agency DRI told a court that the actor has confessed that money used for the purchase of gold was routed through hawala channels. The DRI's big claim of Ranya Rao's confession in the gold smuggling case came days after it alleged it had evidence of the actor and her friend Tarun Raju making 26 trips to Dubai, in which they would leave in the morning and return by the Rao's bail plea has been rejected twice so far, once by a lower court, and another by the Special Court for Economic Offences. ABOUT RANYA RAO PROBERanya Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru airport after a thorough personal search revealed gold bars wrapped around her waist and calves with bandages and tissues. Besides, additional gold bars and cut pieces were also found in her shoes and front gold recovered was 24 carats and weighed 14.2 kg, valued at more than Rs 12.56 crore, and Rao has been charged under the Customs Act and the Prevention of Smuggling Activities Protocol Officer who assisted the actor had told investigating officers that he had done so under specific instructions from DGP Ramchandra Rao,Ranya's stepfather. Ramchandra Rao was recently sent on compulsory leave amid huge uproar over the gold smuggling case.
NDTV
26-04-2025
- NDTV
Ranya Rao Charged Under Anti-Smuggling Law, To Be Detained For Year: Sources
Bengaluru: The Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), has been invoked against arrested Kannada actress Ranya Rao in connection with a gold smuggling case, sources confirmed on Friday. The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), a nodal agency under the Ministry of Finance has invoked the COFEPOSA Act against the actress and other accused as per the recommendation of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), probing the case. Following the invocation of COFEPOSA Act, the accused Ranya Rao will have no chance to get bail for a period of one year. The Act is invoked in order to stop the accused from indulging in smuggling once they come out on bail. The Act is also invoked if the accused is seen as not cooperating with the investigating agencies, sources stated. Sources revealed that the central agencies have taken the step, following the repeated attempts by Ranya Rao and others in the case to obtain bail. The other accused Tarun Raju and Sahil Sakaria Jain have also been booked under the COFEPOSA Act. Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of senior police officer Ramchandra Rao, was arrested on March 3 for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kilograms of gold, valued at over Rs 12.56 crore. Ranya Rao and the other two accused in the case are presently lodged at the Bengaluru Central Prison. The case is being investigated by the DRI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The state government has set up a special team led by a senior IAS officer to look into the role of DGP Ramachandra Rao. The report in this regard has been submitted to the government, sources stated. The investigation into the gold smuggling case by the DRI has revealed that the actress had been involved in hawala transactions in collusion with Jain, the third accused in the case. The DRI, in its remand application submitted to the Special Court for Economic Offences in connection with the arrest of Jain in the gold smuggling case, alleged that the jeweller and Ranya Rao were involved in a hawala nexus. The investigations have found that with the help of Jain, Ranya Rao disposed of 49.6 kg of gold and transferred Rs 38.4 crore of hawala money to Dubai. The DRI stated, "The investigations have indicated that Jain, hailing from Ballari and settled in Bengaluru, assisted and abetted Ranya Rao in disposing of 49.6 kilograms of gold worth around Rs 40 crore and transferring hawala money of Rs 38.4 crore to Dubai."
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- The Hindu
COFEPOSA Act invoked against Ranya Rao
The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) has invoked the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974 against actor Ranya Rao, allegedly caught smuggling 14.2 kg of gold at Kempegowda International Airport here on March 3. Preventive detention The order issued by Anupam Prakash, Joint Secretary, COFEPOSA Wing, CEIB on April 22, 2025, says the law has been invoked against Ranya Rao 'with a view to preventing her from smuggling goods, engaging in transporting, concealing and keeping smuggled goods in future.' The law provides for preventive detention without bail for one year. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) that arrested Ranya Rao at KIA is the sponsoring agency for invoking COFEPOSA Act, 1974, against her, sources said. This move from the DRI comes when the sessions court has reserved its order on her bail plea. The case of invoking COFEPOSA Act, 1974, against Ranya Rao will come up before the advisory board of the High Court of Karnataka within the next three months and the board has to approve the same, for Ranya Rao to be detained under the law. Gold trader's role During its probe into the case, DRI arrested a gold trader from Ballari, Sahil Sakariya Jain, who was arrested and released in a gold smuggling case earlier, for allegedly aiding and abetting Ranya Rao in not only disposing of the smuggled gold but also sending money through hawala to Dubai to buy gold. Through him alone, Ranya Rao is alleged to have smuggled 49.6 kg of gold worth ₹40.13 crore. Jain transferred ₹38.39 crore to Dubai, purportedly to import gold to Dubai and ₹1.73 crore to Ranya Rao in Bengaluru, purportedly as her share of profits after selling the smuggled gold, through hawala transactions. However, Ranya Rao's links with Jain started in November, 2024. She made 23 trips to Dubai between 2023 and March, 2025. Her other transactions are also being probed.
