5 months ago
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The High Court of Karnataka has recovered nary responsibility successful the bid passed by the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) keeping Kannada movie histrion Harshavardhini Ranya Rao nether preventive detention by invoking provisions of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), 1974, for allegedly smuggling golden into the country.
“The bid of detention has been passed aft considering each the applicable aspects of the matter...,” said a Division Bench comprising Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice Vijaykumar A. Patil portion dismissing a writ of habeas corpus petition filed by H.P. Rohini, parent of Ranya Rao.
The petitioner had challenged the April 22, 2025, bid for keeping her girl Ranya Rao nether the preventive detention aft the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence disclosed that the histrion has been indulging successful golden smuggling aft she was caught red-handed astatine the Kempegowda International Airport successful Bengaluru portion smuggling astir 14 kg of golden bars from Dubai connected March 3.
Pen thrust
The large crushed raised successful the petition to contend that the detention was amerciable was that a pen drive, containing documents related to her detention, was not made disposable to her, and it was served connected her parent aft the statutory deadline of 15 days.
However, the Bench rejected this contention portion pointing retired that the contents of the pen thrust was played connected a laptop, and she was shown the full contents successful the situation wrong 5 days from the day of detention bid arsenic norms of the situation did not let handing implicit of immoderate physics devices to the inmates.
Also, the Bench noted that Ranya Rao had asked the officers to handover the pen thrust to her lawyer, who was initially inaccessible to the officials. Though the lawyer aboriginal agreed to cod it from the officers, helium did not crook up and subsequently had messaged the officers to manus implicit the pen thrust to Ranya Rao successful person.
As the officers yet handed implicit the pen thrust to the petitioner aft repeated attempts to scope her, the Bench said that nary responsibility tin beryllium recovered for delayed transportation of pen thrust arsenic Ranya had acknowledged viewing of the pen drive’s contents successful the prison.
‘Transnational smuggling’
The CEIB had pointed retired to the tribunal that the worldly gathered during the probe demonstrates the beingness of a well-orchestrated, commercially motivated, transnational smuggling syndicate operated by Ranya Rao and others implicit a sustained period.
On her assertion that her detention was not indispensable arsenic her passport has been seized, the CEIB authorization had said that lack of a passport does not impede her potentiality and propensity to proceed these amerciable activities arsenic she, being the kingpin of a smuggling network, has the resources to orchestrate and execute smuggling activities adjacent without travelling abroad.
Her involvement, the CEIB had said, is not constricted to carnal smuggling but extends to planning, organising, and coordinating the smuggling operations done associates and intermediaries.
