Acquittal of 3 RSS workers in Riyas Moulavi murder case by Kerala Court
Kasaragod: In a significant development, the District Principal Sessions Court in Kasaragod has acquitted three RSS men accused of the murder of Mohammad Riaz Maulavi, a 27-year-old madrasa teacher from Kotak.
The incident, which occurred on March 20, 2017, saw Maulavi being hacked to death by a group that entered the old Churi mosque where he resided. The accused, identified as Ajesh, Nitin, and Akhilesh, alleged RSS activists, were arrested near the Kelugudde Ayyappanagar Bhajan Mandir.
The court proceedings in this case have been marked by several delays and changes in the scheduled verdict dates. Originally set for February 29, the verdict was rescheduled to March 7, March 20, and finally delivered today. The trial began in 2019 at the District Principal Sessions Court, but it faced multiple postponements due to judge transfers and the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven judges have presided over the case thus far.
The investigation into the murder was conducted by a special team led by Crime Branch SP Dr. A. Srinivas. The team submitted a comprehensive charge sheet to the court, including over 50 documents and the results of DNA tests. During the trial, the court examined 97 witnesses and reviewed 215 documents and 45 pieces of evidence.
Responding to the judgment, the Action Committee said that the Kasaragod district has witnessed a lack of convictions in cases related to communal violence. Out of the 11 cases where Muslims lost their lives and three cases involving non-Muslim fatalities, none of the accused have been punished. The committee highlighted that this lack of conviction is contributing to the recurrence of conflicts in the region.
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Kannada actress Ranya Rao, jeweller linked to Rs 40 cr gold smuggling: DRI
Bengaluru, Apr 03 (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said jeweller Sahil Sakariya Jain played a key role in assisting Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya, also known as Ranya Rao, in disposing of 49.6 kg of smuggled gold worth ₹40.14 crore.
According to the DRI’s remand note, Jain not only helped facilitate the illegal transaction but also abetted Ranya in hawala money transfers linked to the smuggling operation.
Jain, a jeweller by profession, was arrested on March 26 for assisting Ranya in the gold smuggling case.
He has been remanded to judicial custody until April 7.
Jain not only helped Ranya in allegedly disposing of the gold but also appeared to have facilitated Hawala money transactions.
"It appears that he assisted and abetted Accused No. 1 in disposing of approximately 49.6 kg of gold worth ₹40,13,59,374. He has also admitted to aiding A1 in transferring Hawala money amounting to around ₹38,39,97,000 to Dubai and ₹1,73,61,787 to A1 in Bengaluru," the DRI stated.
The agency further noted that the unaccounted cash of ₹2.67 crore seized from Ranya’s residence on March 4, as per the ‘Mahazar’ , was likely Hawala money she received as profit from purchasing gold in Dubai and selling it in Bengaluru.
The DRI added that Jain admitted to receiving a commission of ₹55,000 for each transaction.
"The voluminous evidence extracted from two mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Sahil Sakariya Jain further establishes his role in the smuggling of large quantities of gold into India by A1 ," the DRI stated.
According to the agency, in January 2025, Jain helped Ranya dispose of 14.568 kg of gold worth ₹11.56 crore and facilitated the transfer of ₹11.01 crore in Hawala transactions to Dubai.
Additionally, he admitted to transferring ₹55 lakh in Bengaluru.
In February, Jain allegedly assisted Ranya in disposing of 13.433 kg of gold worth ₹11.81 crore.
During the same month, he helped transfer ₹11.25 crore in Hawala funds to Dubai and ₹55.81 lakh to Ranya in Bengaluru.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of a DGP-rank officer in Karnataka, was arrested on March 3, shortly after returning from Dubai at Kempegowda International Airport.
The DRI officials seized 14.7 kg of gold from her possession.
