Frequent journey to Dubai, together with 27 visits since January 2025, possession of a UAE Resident Id Card, and menace to nationwide safety have been cited as causes by a particular courtroom in Bengaluru on Friday for denial of bail to actress Ranya Rao, 33, in a gold smuggling case.
The actress was arrested at Bengaluru Worldwide Airport on March 3 when she arrived from Dubai with 14.2 kg of gold, price Rs 12.56 crore, strapped onto her physique. The motion adopted particular inputs gathered by the Directorate of Income Intelligence (DRI).
“…the accused No.1 possessing Resident Id Card of UAE and having historical past of journey to Dubai on 27 events since January 2025, is one other issue which doesn’t incline the courtroom to increase discretionary reduction of granting bail…, ” the particular courtroom dominated Friday in her bail plea.
The courtroom additionally rejected the declare made by the actress’s counsel that she ought to be given bail on account of her gender. “…the info and circumstances resulting in the case available are detrimental to the nationwide safety and the income of the nation, this courtroom is just not inclined to train the discretion of granting bail…at this juncture, ” the particular courtroom dominated.
The courtroom additionally rejected arguments made by the counsels for the actress – senior advocate Kiran Javali assisted by customs instances defence counsel B S Girish – that the DRI didn’t adjust to part 102 of the Customs Act and didn’t get hold of the written consent of the actress earlier than conducting a bodily search to seek out the gold hid on her physique.
The argument can’t be accepted as a result of “there’s written consent of accused No.1 on file to indicate the compliance of the stated part. The stated consent at this juncture is ample to assemble triable case towards the accused No.1, ” the particular courtroom dominated.
“…the gravity of the offence being that of financial offence which very a lot impacts the monetary well being of the nation and poses the menace to the real merchants coping with gold. Moreover, accused No.1 having not prolonged her full co-operation through the course of investigation can be an element…,” the courtroom stated whereas denying her bail.
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The actress was intercepted by DRI officers when she didn’t declare the gold consignment on her particular person to customs authorities however, as an alternative, walked by means of a inexperienced channel on the airport with the escort of a Bengaluru police protocol official.
Ranya Rao is by the way the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP-rank officer Ok Ramachandra Rao IPS. The DRI has claimed that the girl misused the police protocol service obtainable for the DGP on the airport for gold smuggling functions.
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