Gold smuggling case: Bail plea of Kannada actress Ranya Rao adjourned till Mar 19
Bengaluru, Mar 17 (PTI): The bail petition of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case, has been adjourned until March 19.
The case was heard on Monday in the CCH 64th Court, which has directed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to file its objections before the next hearing. Further proceedings will continue after the submission of objections.
This follows the Special Court for Economic Offences rejecting Rao’s previous bail plea last week, citing the seriousness of the charges against her.
In a related development, the Karnataka High Court has extended its interim order preventing the DRI from arresting Rao's husband, Jatin Vijayakumar Hukkeri, in connection with the ongoing probe.
Meanwhile, the second accused in the case, hotelier Tarun Raju, has been remanded to judicial custody for 15 days as investigations continue.
Authorities allege that Raju played a crucial role in facilitating the smuggling operation by managing the logistics of gold transportation and distribution within India.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of senior Karnataka IPS officer DGP K Ramachandra Rao, is currently lodged in Parappana Agrahara jail.
She was arrested on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after authorities seized 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from her possession.
Following her arrest, a raid at her residence led to the recovery of gold jewellery valued at Rs 2.06 crore and cash amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. Investigators suspect that she was part of a larger smuggling network.
Both Rao and Raju have been charged under the Customs Act and the Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
