Bengaluru, March 27: The 64th CCH Sessions Court in Bengaluru has denied the bail application of Ranya Rao in relation to a gold smuggling case. The court issued its ruling on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Sahil Jain, a gold dealer allegedly involved in assisting actor Ranya Rao with the sale of smuggled gold, was remanded to the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) until March 29.
Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport after DRI officials found her in possession of gold. Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR following a complaint from Abhishek Chandra Gupta, the Additional Director of DRI. The FIR was filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988, alongside multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS).
The complaint details that two foreign nationals were apprehended at Mumbai Airport on March 6 for attempting to smuggle 21.28 kg of gold, valued at Rs. 18.92 crore, into India. This development came after the arrest of Ranya Rao. Gupta's complaint also highlights the coordinated efforts of individuals traveling from Dubai to smuggle gold in large quantities. It suggests a possible connection to a smuggling syndicate, potentially based in Dubai (UAE).
Ranya Rao had made several trips to Dubai, and the two foreign nationals arrested in Mumbai had also frequently traveled. In his complaint, Gupta raised concerns about the potential involvement of public servants and other individuals in the smuggling operations.
