Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Ma 14: The Special Court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru on Friday rejected the bail plea of actress Ranya Rao, who has been arrested in connection with a gold smuggling case. The court cited the seriousness of the charges and potential national security concerns in its decision.
The case has drawn significant attention, as Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer DGP K Ramachandra Rao. The court, presided over by Judge Vishwanath C Goudar, ruled against granting bail after reviewing submissions from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Meanwhile, Tarun Raju, the second accused in the case, has also applied for bail, and the court has directed the DRI to submit its objections before proceeding further.
National security and hawala links cited
The DRI argued that the case extends beyond smuggling, with suspected international links and hawala transactions under investigation. Senior counsel Madhu Rao, representing the DRI, stated that granting bail would compromise the ongoing probe into a larger smuggling syndicate.
"This case involves gold smuggling on a large scale, carried out with the assistance of a protocol police officer. The accused’s financial transactions, including fund sources and transfer methods, require thorough investigation," he told the court.
He further highlighted that Ranya Rao holds an identity card indicating residence in Dubai, which raises concerns about her fleeing the country if released on bail.
"The seized gold is worth Rs 12.56 crore, in addition to Rs 2.67 crore in cash and Rs 2.06 crore worth of gold recovered from her residence. Given the gravity of the offense and the potential involvement of a larger network, the accused should remain in judicial custody," he argued.
The DRI, along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is probing the smuggling network, including possible collusion within law enforcement and customs.
The Karnataka government has assigned Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to investigate the role of DGP K Ramachandra Rao in the case. The report is expected within a week. However, the government's decision to withdraw the investigation from the special wing CID has raised concerns.
Political reactions
Reacting to the case, Tamil Nadu BJP chief and former Karnataka IPS officer K Annamalai said on Friday, "The authorities have made arrests, and there are allegations of misuse of VVIP protocol. The investigation should be allowed to proceed. However, it is unclear why the state government first ordered a CID probe only to withdraw it later."
With the probe expanding, further revelations are expected in the case.