Actress Accused in Gold Smuggling Bail Plea Rejected by Sessions Court
Bengaluru court rejects bail plea of actress caught smuggling 14.2 kg gold
Bengaluru: The 64th City Civil and Sessions Court, Bengaluru, on Thursday denied bail to actress Ranya Rao (33), an accused in the attempted smuggling of foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 14.2 kg valued at Rs 12.56 crore. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted Ranya Rao on her arrival from Dubai on March 3
Meanwhile, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested Sahil Jain, a resident of Ballari in Karnataka, accused of assisting Ranya Rao in disposing of the smuggled gold bars. He was into gold business and he allegedly assisted Ranya Rao in disposing of smuggled gold bars whenever she returned from abroad.
It is said, Ranya Rao travelled to foreign countries as many as 30 times this year and prior to her successful interception at Kempegowda International Airport, Devanahalli close to Bengaluru city on March 3, the actress travelled abroad at least 4 times in a fortnight.
Earlier, she was denied bail by the Special Court for Economic Offences, Bengaluru after her successful interception by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, a central agency, at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Devanahalli close to Bengaluru city on March 3 on her arrival from Dubai.
Sources said since her bail plea has been rejected both by Special Court for Economic Offences and the City Civil and Sessions Court, Ranya Rao is exploring ways to move the High Court of Karnataka seeking bail. The gold smuggling case is being investigated by sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation as well as by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).
Ranya Rao’s bail plea got rejected for being an influential person and investigating agencies need her custody to crack the network, if any, operating in gold smuggling.
It may be recalled here Ranya Rao, daughter of senior IPS officer K. Ramachandra Rao, was successfully intercepted by DRI officials on specific inputs. Ramachandra Rao has been sent on compulsory leave by the State Government over alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.
