Bengaluru: Repeated attempts by actor Ranya Rao and her co-accused, in an alleged gold smuggling case, to obtain bail, have landed them in big trouble.
On the behest of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) has invoked the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 or COFEPOSA against them.
Ranya and the others will not be eligible for bail for a year after invocation of this Act.
DRI sources said that this became essential as Ranya and her two co-accused are not cooperating with the investigation and are attempting to mislead the court. Officials fear that she and the others will use their clout to influence witnesses and tamper with evidence once they are out on bail at this stage.
Ranya is the step daughter of Karnataka DGP Ramchandra Rao, who has been sent on compulsory leave, pending an inquiry into his role in the whole affair. The DRI had arrested the actor from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on charges of smuggling 14.2 kg gold worth over Rs 12.56 crore.
The DRI has accused Ranya of being part of a gold smuggling syndicate. It has also been alleged that she misused certain privileges granted to her step-father and his family to bypass security checks at the airport.
The other accused in this case are Tarun Raju and Sakaria Jain. The latter is a jeweller, accused of aiding Ranya in transferring money to Dubai through hawala channels. Apart from the DRI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), are probing the matter.
According to the DRI, Jain helped Ranya dispose of 49.6 kg gold and transfer Rs 38.4 crore to Dubai through hawala channels.
