Kannada actress Ranya Rao has been handed a one-year jail sentence under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) in connection with an ongoing gold smuggling case.
According to PTI, the order issued by the Advisory Board also stated that she will not be eligible for bail during the entire term of detention.
The actress and co-accused Tarun Konduru Raju was granted bail on May 20 when the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to file a chargesheet within the legally mandated timeframe. Despite the Rs 2 lakh bond, the pair remained in custody due to the preventive detention order under COFEPOSA, which permits detention for up to one year even without formal charges, based on suspicion of smuggling activities.
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Rao was detained by the DRI on March 3 when the actress, who flew into Bengaluru from Dubai via an Emirates flight, was flagged, detained, and questioned by the intelligence agency at the Kempegowda International Airport, following a tip-off. Upon inspection, the authorities discovered 14.2 kg of gold on her person, and she also managed to conceal gold bars in her clothing. The seized gold was valued at a whopping Rs 12.56 crore.
Subsequently, the DRI officials carried out a search at her apartment located on Lavelle Road in Bangalore. The search uncovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.
Further investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) resulted in the discovery of a larger gold smuggling racket. Earlier this month, the agency attached assets worth over Rs 34 crore across Karnataka to Rao.
