Bengaluru, March 17: A court in Bengaluru has adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of jailed actress Ranya Rao, arrested in connection with the gold smuggling case, till March 19.
Ranya Rao approached the city’s Civil and Sessions Court on Monday after her bail petition was rejected by the Special Court for Economic Offences on March 14. The court has asked the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to file objections by March 19.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court taking up the petition by jailed actress Ranya Rao’s husband Jatin Hukkeri has directed the DRI not to initiate punitive action against him without following due legal procedures.
The court posted the matter to March 24 for further hearing. Earlier on March 11, the Karnataka High Court had given immunity to Jatin Hukkeri from arrest. The bench headed by Justice Hemanth Chandanagoudar passed the order in this regard. Senior counsel Prabhuling Navadgi appeared for Jatin Hukkeri. The counsel for the DRI stated that the objections would be submitted to the court regarding the relief on March 24.
Senior counsel Prabhuling Navadgi submitted that Jatin had no involvement in the gold smuggling case and is cooperating with the investigation fully. The counsel expressed fears that the DRI authorities could arrest Jatin against the Supreme Court directives.
Jatin Hukkeri in his petition before the court stated that within a period of one month after the marriage, the differences had cropped up between him and Ranya Rao. His counsel also submitted to the court that though Jatin married Ranya Rao in November, they were separated unofficially by December.
As Ranya Rao had booked her flight ticket through the credit card of her husband Jatin, the DRI had raided his residence and grilled him for long hours suspecting his involvement in the case. Fearing the arrest, Jatin had approached the High Court seeking relief.
Actress Rao was arrested on charges of gold smuggling and misusing her father (DGP) Ramachandra Rao’s name to escape security checks by availing the protocol reserved for officials of the highest rank.
The DRI officials arrested Ranya Rao after seizing 14.8 kg of gold from her at the Bengaluru International Airport. The agency seized Rs 2.06 crore worth of gold and Rs 2.67 crore in cash from her upscale Lavelle Road flat, where she reportedly paid Rs 4.5 lakh in rent. Karnataka DGP for State Police Housing Corporation, Ramachandra Rao, responding to the development of the arrest of his step-daughter, Ranya Rao, had said that he was devastated and caught unawares by this development.
On March 15, the Karnataka government placed jailed actress Ranya Rao’s father, DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, on compulsory leave with immediate effect and until further notice in connection with the gold smuggling case.
DGP Rao was serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. Ranya Rao has been sent to jail in the gold smuggling case.
The Karnataka government had assigned senior IAS officer Gaurav Gupta, the Additional Chief Secretary, to start an investigation immediately against DGP Ramachandra Rao. DGP Rao is expected to be asked to appear before Gupta for questioning at any time. Besides, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are investigating the case.
Gold smuggling accused actress Ranya Rao has alleged that the DRI officials repeatedly slapped and hit her during custody and demanded she sign statements, threatening they will “expose” her stepfather, DGP K. Ramachandra Rao.
IANS