The Karnataka High Court has dismissed habeas corpus petitions filed by the family members of actor Harshavardhini Ranya Rao and other accused, who were arrested in connection with an alleged gold smuggling racket involving illegal transportation of gold from Dubai to Bengaluru.

A division bench comprising Justice Anu Shivaraman and Justice Vijay Kumar A. Patil heard the petitions filed separately by Ranya Rao’s mother H.P. Rohini, co-accused Tarun Raju’s mother Rama Raju, and Priyanka Sarkaria. The petitioners had sought a declaration that the arrests under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) were illegal and requested the immediate release of the accused. After considering detailed arguments, the bench rejected all the petitions.

During the previous hearing, counsel for the petitioners argued that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had relied on video footage stored in a pen drive—allegedly showing Ranya Rao’s arrival at the airport—as a basis for issuing the detention order. However, this digital evidence was not properly furnished to the accused, they claimed. The defence further argued that Ranya Rao’s passport had already been seized at the time of arrest and was currently in the custody of a special court, eliminating any possibility of her leaving the country. It was also contended that under Article 22(5) of the Constitution, an accused has the right to be supplied with all relevant documents in a language they understand to enable them to make an effective representation. In this case, the petitioners claimed that Ranya Rao was provided with only two pages of documents in Kannada, which she allegedly could not read, and that the records supplied were incomplete.

Senior advocate Hashmath Pasha, appearing for Tarun Raju, argued that representations challenging the legality of the COFEPOSA detention were submitted twice to the Union Government, but were merely forwarded to the advisory board without independent application of mind by the competent authority. He further argued that any alleged transactions involving Tarun Raju took place in Dubai and could not automatically attract criminal liability in India.

Opposing the petitions, counsel for the Union Government stated that every effort had been made to supply the pen drive to Ranya Rao. However, as she was lodged in jail, prison rules prohibited handing over digital devices directly to inmates. Attempts were made to provide it to her advocate, and later, as per her instructions, it was handed over to her stepmother Rohini. The government maintained that the documents were complete and that the detention orders were passed strictly in accordance with law.

According to the prosecution, Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 after DRI officials seized gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore at the Kempegowda International Airport. Subsequent searches at her residence allegedly led to the recovery of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and cash amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. Her bail applications have been rejected by both the trial court and the High Court, and she continues to remain in judicial custody.