Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment under the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), in connection with a high-profile gold smuggling case. The Advisory Board overseeing COFEPOSA matters recently ruled that Rao will not be eligible for bail throughout the entire duration of her detention.
Earlier, on May 20, a city court granted default bail to both Ranya and her co-accused, Tarun Raju, after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to submit a chargesheet within the stipulated timeframe. The bail was granted on a ₹2 lakh bond with surety conditions. However, the bail was overruled by the COFEPOSA-issued preventive detention order, which kept both people in custody. If there is a reasonable suspicion of smuggling, suspects may be held under COFEPOSA for up to a year without being charged.
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Ranya Rao's case started in March when she tried to use Kempegowda International Airport's green channel—which is reserved for passengers without any dutiable goods—to leave Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai. Suspicions were raised by her apprehensive manner when being questioned by DRI officials. After a thorough personal search by female officers, 14.2 kilogrammes of gold worth about ₹12.56 crore were found hidden on her person.
Ranya was taken into custody on the spot. Her subsequent bail pleas were rejected twice by local courts and later by the Karnataka High Court, before the default bail was finally granted. Nonetheless, the COFEPOSA detention order ensured that she would remain incarcerated for the entire one-year term without the option of release.
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