Bangalore, December 19 (Udaipur Kiran) – The Karnataka High Court on Friday upheld the central government’s order arresting actress Harshvardhani, also known as Ranya Rao, along with Tarun Kondur Raju and Sahil Jain under the Foreign Exchange Management and Smuggling Prevention Act (COFIPOSA) in connection with a gold smuggling case. The court ruled that Ranya and the other accused will remain in jail.
A division bench of Justice Anu Shivraman and Vijaykumar A. Patil delivered the judgment after hearing Ranya’s habeas corpus petitions. These petitions sought to declare her detention under the COFIPOSA act unlawful. The court also dismissed similar petitions filed by Ranya’s stepmother H.S. Rohini, Tarun’s mother Rama Raju, and Sahil Jain’s mother Priyanka Sagaraya. The detailed order is yet to be released.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General K. Arvind Kamath, appearing for the Centre, stated that all efforts were made to provide Ranya with the pen drive related to the case. Since digital devices are prohibited in jail, attempts were made to hand over the pen drive to her lawyer. However, when the lawyer refused, the pen drive was eventually handed over to Ranya’s stepmother Rohini on her instructions. Kamath argued that the accused should not be released as they are involved in a serious crime of gold smuggling.
Senior advocate Kiran Jawali, representing Ranya, argued that the pen drive containing the airport’s video recordings, which formed the basis for the arrest warrant, was never given to Ranya. She added that since Ranya’s passport has already been seized, there is no risk of her fleeing the country. Jawali also contended that Ranya’s constitutional right to receive the full record in a language she understands has been violated. This, she said, hampers the effective filing of appeals under Article 22(5) of the Constitution.
Senior advocate Hashmat Pasha, representing Tarun Raju, said that the petitions filed before the Centre challenging the legality of the arrest under the COFIPOSA act were not properly considered. He argued that the Joint Secretary only acted as a messenger informing the advisory board. Pasha added that India cannot be held responsible for transactions that took place in Dubai.
It is notable that on March 3, Ranya was arrested by DRI officers at Bengaluru International Airport after 14.2 kilograms of gold worth Rs 12.86 crore was seized from her. The gold was allegedly hidden in belts and jackets to evade customs checks. It is also alleged that Ranya, the adopted daughter of a DGP-rank officer, was leaving the airport through the VIP lane without any hindrance. Following investigations, the Economic Intelligence Unit took all three accused into custody under COFIPOSA through the DRI on April 22. Petitions against the arrests were discussed in an advisory board meeting on June 19, and a report was submitted on July 2. Subsequently, on July 16, the order confirming the arrests was issued.
(Udaipur Kiran)
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
