Gold smuggling case: Customs search of Ranya Rao violated rules, her counsel argues before Karnataka HC

Arguing before Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, stated that the search and seizure did not adhere to rules prescribed under Section 102 of the Customs Act which requires the person being searched to be taken either before a gazetted Customs officer or a magistrate.

Chouta argued that the gazetted officer that Ranya Rao was produced before was also the investigating officer in the case. Further, officials had allegedly not informed her relatives about the arrest in writing but only telephonically.

The counsel also argued that bail would ordinarily be granted for offences that attracted less than seven years’ imprisonment under the Customs Act. He further cited that the actress had been imprisoned for 45 days.

The bail matter will be further heard by the high court on April 21, when the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence (DRI) is set to present its statement of objections.

Recently, a special court for economic offences in Bengaluru rejected the bail application of an alleged hawala dealer in the case.

The actress’s mother, H P Rohini, had also approached the court to preserve the CCTV footage at the time of her arrest, upon which the court had passed a direction for the material to be preserved for investigation and trial.