Bengaluru, Jul 17 (PTI): Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment under the stringent COFEPOSA, in connection with a gold smuggling case.

The Advisory Board handling the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) matter recently ruled that Rao will not be granted bail during the entire term of her detention.

Rao was earlier granted default bail on May 20 by a city court, along with her co-accused Tarun Raju, after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to file a chargesheet within the legally mandated timeframe.

Despite the bail being granted on a Rs 2 lakh bond and surety conditions, both Ranya and Tarun continued to remain in custody due to the preventive detention order under COFEPOSA, which permits detention for up to one year even without formal charges, based on suspicion of smuggling activities.

In March, Ranya Rao arrived at from Dubai and attempted to pass through the Kempegowda International Airport's green channel, typically reserved for passengers without dutiable items.

She appeared anxious when questioned by DRI officials about whether she had any undeclared items. Her suspicious behavior prompted the authorities to conduct a detailed search by female officers.

A total of 14.2 kilograms of gold, valued at approximately Rs 12.56 crore, was recovered from her and she was immediately taken into custody.

Ranya's earlier bail applications were turned down, twice by local courts and later by the Karnataka High Court.

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PANCHKULA: Police have registered a case against a YouTuber for allegedly circulating misleading and false information about the Haryana Common Eligibility Test (CET) through social media.

According to Inspector Rupesh Chaudhary, Station House Officer of Sector-5 police station, the complaint was filed on August 1, 2025, by Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) official Kedar Singh, reported The Indian Express on Monday.

The complaint alleges that Prince Lamba, a journalist and anchor with the YouTube channel Haryana News 24, uploaded two videos on July 26 and 27 containing sensational claims about the CET examination.
The videos carried headlines such as “CET Cancelled, Will the Paper be Held Again?” and “HSSC’s Big Betrayal of Lakhs of Youth! Uproar in Haryana.” Both these headlines reportedly caused confusion among a large number of candidates in the state.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Srishti Gupta said that a First Information Report has been registered under Sections 335 and 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the accused has been served a legal notice, and an investigation is underway.

Gupta added that the police will take strict legal action against anyone found to be spreading misleading information regarding examinations or recruitment processes.