Ranya Rao, arrested in March for alleged gold smuggling, is now at the center of a legal battle as her mother, HP Rohini, has approached the Karnataka High Court. She has filed a habeas corpus plea against a preventive detention order under the stringent Cofeposa Act (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act), calling the move unlawful.

Ranya was apprehended by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3, 2025, at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport with 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.56 crore, allegedly concealed on her body to evade ₹4.83 crore in customs duty.

Following the seizure, the Finance Ministry issued a Cofeposa detention order on April 22 at the request of DRI. If enforced, this allows detention without trial for up to one year, even if bail is granted in other courts. The case was heard by a vacation bench comprising Justices H P Sandesh and Ramachandra Huddar, and the Centre’s response is expected by June 3.

Ranya, also known as the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramachandra Rao, remains in judicial custody alongside Telugu actor Tarun Konduru Raju. Both were allegedly in the UAE around the same time. Raju returned to Hyderabad, while Ranya arrived in Bengaluru, where the smuggling attempt was uncovered.

A jeweler named Sahil Jain was also arrested later. All three are still in custody, with their bail pleas repeatedly denied, including under the new BNSS, 2023.

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