In a major setback for Kannada actor Ranya Rao, a special court for Economic Offences has rejected her bail petition in the gold smuggling case. The court rejected the bail plea citing the seriousness of charges against her.
The court led by Judge Vishwanath C Gowdar, agreed with the prosecution that Ranya should stay in judicial custody. Rao was earlier remanded to a 14-day judicial custody after her arrest from the airport on March 4 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) . The second accused, Tarun Raju, was sent to 15-day judicial custody.
Ranya Rao's Team To Move Sessions Court
After her bail plea got rejected, Ranya's legal team will now knock the doors of the Sessions Court for relief.
Gold Bars Worth ₹12.56 Crore Seized From Ranya's Possession At Airport
Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore were seized from Ranya Rao at the Bengaluru Airport while returning from Dubai. Subsequently, officials conducted searches at her properties, recovering gold jewelry worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash.
30 Trips To Dubai In A Year
Probe has revealed that Rao, made around 30 trips to Dubai over the past year, allegedly smuggling significant quantities of gold on each occasion. She reportedly earned Rs 1 lakh per kilogram of gold smuggled, amounting to Rs 1213 lakh per trip.
During interrogation, Ranya reportedly claimed she received calls from unknown numbers instructing her to meet someone at Dubai airport, where she allegedly learned to hide gold by watching YouTube videos.
Bengaluru Court Bars Media From Making Defamatory Allegations
Earlier on Wednesday, a Bengaluru court bared media from making defamatory allegations against Ranya Rao. The order was passed on a plea by Rao's father, amid concerns that sensationalised media coverage surrounding the gold smuggling case was violating Rao's right to fair trial.
