Gold smuggling case: Sessions court rejects Tarun Raju’s bail; Judicial custody of Ranya Rao extended

Bengaluru: A sessions court in Bengaluru on Monday rejected the bail petition filed by Tarun Konduru Raju, the second arrested suspect in the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case.

Raju’s bail petition was rejected by the CCH64 LXIII Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge after hearing the arguments by his counsel and perusing the objections by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

“The regular bail petition filed by the petitioner/accused U/s 483 of BNSS-2023 is hereby rejected,” the court observed.

A detailed order is yet to be released.

Raju, 36, was arrested by the DRI on March 9, six days after they allegedly caught red-handed Kannada actor Ranya Rao at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru with concealed gold weighing 14.2 kg and worth Rs 12.56 crore.

A special court for economic offences previously denied Raju’s bail after relying on misusing his US citizenship, falsely declaring gold to Geneva and Bangkok, being one of Ranya’s “international gold smuggling links,” and probable flight risk as grounds for rejection.

Raju is expected to move the high court next.

Judicial custody extended

The special court for economic offences on Monday extended the judicial custody of Ranya, Raju and Sahil Sakariya Jain, a jeweller from Ballari, who is the third suspect in the case, till April 21.

All three are currently lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru and were produced before the court via video conference. Ranya has also moved the high court seeking bail after two of her bail applications were rejected by the lower courts.

The counsel for Jain on Monday moved a petition before the special court for economic offences seeking bail. The court has adjourned the hearing to April 9 and directed the DRI to file objections.

The DRI claimed that Jain helped Ranya in Hawala transactions and also disposed of the smuggled gold and shared the proceeds with her.