Ranya Rao, Tarun Konduru Raju get bail in gold smuggling case but to remain in prison
The Special Court for Economic Offences ruled that the duo is entitled to default bail, citing the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)'s failure to file a chargesheet within 60 days of arrest. The court granted bail on the condition that each executes a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties.
'It is made clear that any violation of the conditions imposed by this court will result in the cancellation of bail,' the court observed and asked them to appear for all the hearings without fail in the bail conditions.
As part of the bail conditions, the court instructed Ranya and Raju to refrain from tampering with evidence or witnesses, cooperate fully with the investigation, avoid leaving the country without prior permission, and not commit similar offences.
Ranya Rao, 33, is accused of smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore from Dubai. She was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru airport and found in possession of 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars valued at Rs 12.56 crore. She was allegedly attempting to evade customs duty to the tune of Rs 4.83 crore by strapping the gold on her body using bandages. Raju and a Ballari-based jeweller, Sahil Sakariya Jain, were also arrested later in connection with the smuggling operation.
All three are lodged at Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. On April 22, the Union government invoked the COFEPOSA Act provisions against them. This act permits preventive detention for up to one year without trial.
Meanwhile, Ranya's mother has approached the Karnataka High Court, challenging her daughter's detention under the COFEPOSA Act. The matter has been adjourned to June 3, with the court asking the Centre to file its objections.
The Karnataka High Court had previously declined to grant Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru Raju bail. Raju had travelled to the UAE at the same time as Rao but returned to Hyderabad instead of Bengaluru, according to the DRI that arrested the two actors.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Cop got Rs 35L salary in 12 years without training and never reporting to work
BHOPAL: In a bizarre incident, a police constable drew a salary of around Rs 35 lakh in 12 years, despite neither reporting for duty nor undergoing the mandatory training after his recruitment in 2011-2012. A native of central MP's Vidisha district, Abhishek was among those recruited as constables in the state police in 2011-12. He appeared at the Bhopal District Lines for joining much later than other constables of his batch. He was subsequently sent for mandatory training at the Police Training School in Sagar district after induction into the police force. However, instead of going for training, Abhishek went to his home in the neighbouring Vidisha district and neither underwent training nor reported for duty for 12 long years. During his entire period of undue absence from duty, he neither informed the department about it nor did he ever apply for leave, yet he managed to get the monthly salary for 12 long years. Abhishek then sent his service file through the speed post to Bhopal, citing ill health. Surprisingly, his service file was accepted by the department concerned in Bhopal without any verification, resulting in Abhishek receiving Rs 35 lakh as salary over the next 12 years. The shocking irregularity came to light in 2023, when service records were being reviewed as part of the mandatory exercise for the 10-year-time scale pay grade of the 2011-12 batch constables. 'The service record check revealed no rewards, no punishments and no duty records, which was outlandish. He (Abhishek) was summoned by the department's establishment branch, after which he finally appeared, making it clear he had not served the police even a single day,' said ACP-Bhopal Ankita Khaterkar, who is probing the matter. He has already returned Rs 1 lakh to the department and promised to pay back in instalments the salary drawn in 12 years. A departmental probe is underway.
India Today
30 minutes ago
- India Today
Woman, 35, forced to drink toilet water, strangled by tantrik during ritual in UP
A 35-year-old woman from Azamgarh died under suspicious circumstances during an occult ritual performed by a local tantrik. The incident took place on Sunday evening in Pahalwan Pur village, under the Kandharapur police station area, of Azamgarh District of Uttar woman, identified as Anuradha, had been married for 10 years but had no children. She visited a local tantrik named Chandu with her mother hoping to conceive after hearing claims that he could help women become mothers through spiritual means. advertisementDuring the visit, the tantrik along with his associates claimed Anuradha was possessed by an evil spirit. The family claimed that in the course of the ritual, the tantrik and his helpers allegedly pulled her hair, forcefully pressed her neck and mouth and even made her drink dirty water from a drain and toilet. Her mother, who was present at the spot, tried to stop them but was ignored. Soon after, Anuradha's condition worsened, prompting the tantrik and his aides to take her to the district hospital, where doctors declared her dead by around 9 PM. The group then fled the hospital, leaving the body family brought Anuradha's body back to the village and demanded strict action. Upon receiving the information, Kandharapur SHO K K Gupta and the City Circle Officer reached the spot. The victim's father, Baliram Yadav, told police that the tantrik had taken a Rs 1 lakh contract to help Anuradha conceive. He had already received Rs 22,000 as advance payment. Police registered an FIR based on Baliram's complaint, sent the body for post-mortem examination and launched an investigation in the incident. Later, tantrik Chandu surrendered at the police station, however, authorities are still searching for his accomplices."In Pahalwan Pur village of Kandharapur area, Anuradha, daughter of Baliram Yadav, died under suspicious circumstances. Her father alleged that a local tantrik named Chandu, along with his wife and two others, strangled her to death under the guise of performing occult rituals. Based on the father's complaint, an FIR has been registered and investigation is underway," said SP City Madhuban Kumar was the eldest of three siblings. Locals said that Chandu had created a fake spiritual setup at his home, complete with small temples, bells and idols to attract followers. People from nearby areas often visited him for help. Some villagers also claimed that similar incidents had happened there in the past.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Uttar Pradesh
Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Express View on Jane Street episode: Raise the red flags
In recent years, alongside the dramatic increase in the number of Indian households entering the stock markets, the derivatives segment has also witnessed a huge spurt in trading. Within derivatives, index options account for a sizeable share of trade. An earlier study by Sebi, the stock market regulator, noted that while 91.1 per cent of individual traders had lost money in the futures and options segment, it was the foreign portfolio investors and proprietary traders who had earned the profits, most of which were made by 'algo entities'. In April last year, reports mentioned a legal dispute involving the US-based Jane Street Group, which belongs to the algorithmic trading community, 'for alleged unauthorised use of their proprietary trading strategies in India'. Sebi followed up these reports with a preliminary inquiry to determine if there was any market abuse. Following its investigation, on July 3, the stock market regulator banned the Jane Street Group for manipulative trading practices and ordered the impounding of its unlawful gains, which it estimated at Rs 4,843 crore. In its interim order, the stock market regulator has detailed the modus operandi of the Group, the strategies it drew on in its trading. It notes that the Group operated an 'intra day index manipulation pattern'. This involves dealing in segments across equities, futures and options simultaneously. The interim order notes that the 'intensity and sheer scale of their intervention' and the 'reversal of these large and aggressive trading…' was 'without any economic rationale, other than the concurrent activity in and impact on their positions in the Bank Nifty index options markets'. The Group also engaged in an extended 'marking the close' strategy, an approach where large buy or sell orders are placed in 'the final moments of a trading session, with the specific intent of influencing the closing price of a security or index to its advantage'. As per the order, on at least 21 days, the Group has 'prima facie engaged in illegal manipulation'. In February, the National Stock Exchange cautioned the Group, saying that it had been 'consistently engaging in trading patterns that raised serious concerns over market integrity'. Sebi notes that the Group ignored the 'regulatory red flags', and continued with its strategies. At a time when millions are entering the stock markets, the regulator must ensure that the integrity of markets is maintained. That its surveillance and monitoring systems are able to effectively track transactions at all levels and raise red flags. Regulatory action must be swiftly taken to protect the sanctity of markets.
