Gold smuggling case: Preserve CCTV footage from airport, says Karnataka HC after petition by Ranya Rao’s mother

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 while allegedly attempting to evade customs duty to the tune of Rs 4.83 crore by wrapping the gold on her body with medical adhesives and bandages.

Rohini had first approached the court with the petition on Tuesday, praying for the preservation of footage from 4.30 pm on March 3 to 6 am the next day, and a notice was issued to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

The apprehension was that the customary period for deleting CCTV footage was one month after recording. When the matter was heard on Wednesday, Rohini’s counsel objected to any delay in the hearing as the footage could be deleted.

The counsel representing the government, however, stated that the CCTV footage was available and could be preserved on a court order. Upon hearing these submissions, the court directed that the footage be preserved for the purpose of the investigation and trial.

In related news, Rao has approached the Karnataka High Court for bail, and the plea is likely to be heard sometime in the coming week. As previously reported by The Indian Express, a sessions court had rejected her bail plea.

The court had noted that the alleged transfer of funds through the hawala route to purchase and smuggle gold, as alleged by the DRI, would be an act against the interests of national security.