Supreme Court Upholds COFEPOSA Detention Of Kannada Actress Ranya Rao In Gold Smuggling Case The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed challenges to the preventive detention orders issued under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) against Kannada actress Ranya Rao, alias Harshavardhini Ranya, and her aide Sahil Sarkariya Jain. The Court upheld the detention of both individuals, who were accused of facilitating gold smuggling into India. The decision was delivered by a Bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, who rejected the Special Leave Petitions filed by the detenus and their legal representatives. The case centers on allegations that Ranya Rao and Jain were involved in smuggling foreign-marked gold bars into the country. According to the authorities, intelligence inputs led to the interception of Ranya Rao on March 3, 2025, at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. During a search at the Green Channel of the International Customs Arrival Hall, officials recovered 17 gold bars weighing approximately 14.2 kilograms. Subsequent investigations under Section 108 of the Customs Act revealed that Jain had allegedly facilitated the disposal of foreign-marked gold consignments on four occasions between November 14, 2024, and February 14, 2025. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) issued preventive detention orders against both individuals on April 22, 2025, invoking Section 3(1) of the COFEPOSA Act. The orders cited their alleged involvement in organized gold smuggling activities, with the authorities emphasizing prior instances of gold bar disposal.#supreme_court #ranya_rao #sahil_sarkariya_jain #directorates_of_revenue_intelligence #kempegowda_international_airport
