A special court in Bengaluru has reserved its order on the bail plea of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao in the gold smuggling case until March 27, following a detailed hearing of arguments from both the defence and the prosecution.
During the proceedings, Rao's counsel Kiran Jawali argued for her release, while the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence's lawyer, Madhu Rao, presented evidence suggesting her direct role in the illicit transfer of funds.
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According to the prosecution, the actress admitted to using hawala channels to facilitate gold purchases, a claim that strengthens the case against her.
As part of the legal process, officials have invoked Section 108 of the Customs Act, which mandates a judicial inquiry.
Authorities clarified that this is not a police interrogation but a judicial investigation to scrutinise financial irregularities and potential violations of law. The probe aims to uncover the depth of the illegal transactions and any further connections to the broader smuggling network.
Gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized from Ranya, the step-daughter of DGP-rank officer K Ramachandra Rao at Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 upon her arrival from Dubai.
Following this, searches were conducted at her residence, where officials recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) stated had stated in a press release.
Later, the DGP-rank officer was sent on compulsory leave by the Karnataka government and was questioned in connection with the gold smuggling case.
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