Kannada cinema star Ranya Rao, also known as Harshavardhini Ranya, has expressed severe legal concerns about the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence’s (DRI) search and seizure operations in connection with a gold smuggling case in which she is implicated. Advocate Sandesh J Chouta, representing Ranya before the Karnataka High Court on Thursday, alleged that the search violated a requirement under Section 102 of the Customs Act. This clause mandates that those being searched be given the option to appear before a magistrate or a gazetted customs officer prior to the search, which Ranya was allegedly refused.
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There is no dispute over consent signatures.
At the hearing, Justice S Vishwajith Shetty asked the defence whether Ranya had objected to her signature on the consent notices issued during the DRI operation. Her lawyer responded that she had not objected to signing the consent forms but clarified that the procedural protection under Section 102 remained in effect regardless of her signature.
Bail Plea adjourned to April 21.
After hearing the initial arguments, the court postponed the hearing on Ranya Rao’s and her co-accused Tarun Konduru Raju’s bail applications until April 21. Justice Shetty has asked the authorities to register their objections before the next hearing.
What Led to Ranya Rao Arrest?
Ranya has been placed under observation due to her frequent international travel. Cops were concerned after she visited Dubai four times in 15 days. This necessitated a targeted operation when she returned to Bengaluru. The inquiry indicated that Ranya attempted to smuggle gold by wearing a large chunk of it and concealing gold bars in her clothing. The value of 14.8 kilogram of gold is estimated to be more than Rs. 12 crore.
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