Gold smuggling case: ED attaches Rs 34.12cr assets of Ranya Rao, others

Bengaluru, July 4 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has made provisional attachment of properties worth Rs 34.12 crore linked to jailed actress Ranya Rao and others in connection with sensational gold smuggling case.

The ED stated on its official social media handle X on Friday: "ED, Headquarter Office, New Delhi has provisionally attached immovable properties valued at Rs 34.12 crore under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002 in a case involving transnational gold smuggling and laundering of its proceeds by Ranya Rao aka Harshavardini Ranya and her associates."

The attached assets include immovable properties located in Bengaluru and Tumkur districts of Karnataka, the ED stated.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on Friday heard the petition filed by the mother of Ranya Rao, seeking to declare that her detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), as illegal.

Counsel for petitioner submitted that order passed is not yet confirmed by the advisory board. The matter is listed for hearing on July 23.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials arrested Ranya Rao after seizing 14.8 kg of gold from her at the Bengaluru International Airport.

The agency seized Rs 2.06 crore worth of gold and Rs 2.67 crore in cash from her upscale Lavelle Road flat, where she reportedly paid Rs 4.5 lakh in rent.

DGP for Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, K. Ramachandra Rao, responding to the development of the arrest of his step-daughter, actress Ranya Rao, had earlier stated that he was devastated and caught unaware by the development involving her. He has been sent on compulsory leave.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted raids on educational institutions linked to Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara in Tumakuru city in connection with the case.

Sources stated that they had tracked the finance transaction by Ranya Rao to one of the institutions linked to Parameshwara.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar commenting on the ED raids on institutions owned by Parameshwara in connection with the gold smuggling case, had stated, while Parameshwara might have given money to actress Ranya Rao, he never asked her to use it for gold smuggling.

--IANS

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