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Time of India
28-04-2025
- Time of India
Gold smuggling controversy: Ranya Rao faces 1 year in jail without bail as COFEPOSA gets invoked
A new update has come in the Ranya Rao's alleged gold smuggling case, who has been booked under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974. According to the reports, the Kannada actress can be kept in jail for a whole year without bail. Mathrubhumi reported that authorities have said that in order to prevent the actress from indulging or conducting any further smuggling activities upon release, the Act was invoked. The reason behind this move has been cited as the non-cooperation of the actress with investigating agencies. Ranya Rao at the Bengaluru Central Prison On March 3, Ranya Rao was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport. 14.2 kg of gold bars worth ₹12.5 crore were found in her possession upon her arrival from Dubai. Another co-accused in the matter, Raju, was arrested on March 9. As we speak, Ranya Rao, along with the other two accused Tarun Raju and Sahil Sakaria Jain, are in Bengaluru Central Prison. So far in her defence, Rao's lawyers have said that she has been 'falsely implicated in the case.' They have made attempts for bail, which have been opposed by the senior advocate representing DRI. Citing the reports of the investigation, the opposing counsel told the court that 100 kgs of gold had been smuggled from India to Dubai by the actress and her friend Tarun Raju. According to the reports, the statistics from the probe say that between January and March of this year, Rao and Raju jointly traveled to Dubai over 20 times. In addition to this, Rao reportedly made a total of 56 trips to Dubai from 2023 to 2025. Further, alongside the probe by DRI, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate have launched separate investigations to examine any potential involvement of government officials, including the stepfather of the Kannada actress, DGP Ramachandra Rao, in the smuggling activities. Karnataka HC refuses bail Meanwhile, though as aforementioned, reportedly the actress's lawyers are trying to get her out, the Karnataka High Court on Saturday refused to grant bail to Ranya and co-accused Tarun.
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.
