The Karnataka High Court on Friday rejected habeas corpus petitions filed by actress Ranya Rao and co-accused Tarun Konduru Raju and Sahil Jain, who are suspected of smuggling gold from Dubai
Ranya Rao
The Karnataka High Court on Friday denied habeas corpus petitions for actress Ranya Rao, who is suspected of smuggling gold from Dubai, as well as co-accused Tarun Konduru Raju and Sahil Jain. The order was issued by a divided bench comprising Justices Anu Sivaraman and Vijaykumar A Patil.
The new verdict in Ranya Rao's case
The petitions sought a warrant of habeas corpus, declaring the three accused's COFEPOSA (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act) detention order unconstitutional and 'invalid ab initio'.
Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru airport while reportedly attempting to escape customs duty of Rs 4.83 crore by tying a significant amount of smuggled gold to her body using bandages. Raju is also accused of playing a role in the smuggling scheme, with Jain allegedly acting as a hawala agent.
All about Ranya Rao's case
The Karnataka High Court dismissed the accused's bail application on April 26, citing the serious impact of economic crimes on the national economy. Among other considerations, Rao's status as a movie star raised the possibility of a flight risk. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) further told the high court that the three defendants smuggled over 100 kg of gold into India over several visits, with the 14.2 kilogram of gold seized from Rao worth Rs 12.56 crore. They had previously alleged that at least 11 of the accused's 34 trips to Dubai involved gold smuggling.
Meanwhile, the COFEPOSA detention order dated April 22 would allow the accused to remain in detention for up to a year even if bail was granted.
Rao's counsel had previously said that the grounds for arrest had not been properly communicated to her and raised the question of procedural irregularities. On the other hand, the State claimed that Rao was shown a pen drive with the necessary material, and that because it was not possible to hand it over to her due to jail regulations, it was given to one of her legal representatives.
Regarding Raju's alleged role, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath noted, "He has extensively travelled to Dubai and other African countries looking for ways to source gold. He was a partner in a company called Veera Diamonds. Tarun Raju had a key role in the smuggling chain as the billing was done under his name.
A comprehensive copy of Friday's order is requested.
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