Bengaluru Court reserves judgment on Kannada actress Ranya Rao's bail plea
Bengaluru, Mar 12 (PTI): A Bengaluru Special Court for Economic Offences on Wednesday reserved its decision on the bail plea of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case.
The court is expected to pronounce its judgment on March 14.
During the bail hearing, Senior Advocate Kiran Javali, representing Rao, argued that officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to follow proper legal procedures during her arrest and interrogation.
Javali contended that the arrest memo issued at the time did not explicitly state the "grounds of arrest," as required by the Supreme Court’s guidelines in the DK Basu case.
He further asserted that such procedural lapses justify the granting of bail, regardless of the gravity of the allegations.
Opposing the bail plea, the DRI’s legal team highlighted the seriousness of the charges against Rao, alleging her involvement in a significant gold smuggling operation.
They argued that granting her bail could hinder the ongoing investigation and potentially lead to tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.
In a related development, Rao has alleged mistreatment during her detention, claiming that DRI officials verbally abused her when she hesitated to respond to certain questions.
She also accused them of coercing her into signing documents without proper consent.
The DRI has refuted these allegations, maintaining that all procedures were conducted lawfully and respectfully.
Anticipating a possible arrest, Rao’s husband, Jatin Hukkeri, has sought interim relief from the Karnataka High Court. The court has granted him temporary protection from arrest, offering a brief reprieve as the investigation progresses.
The DRI stated that it seized gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from Rao at Kempegowda International Airport after she arrived from Dubai on March 3.
Rao is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, who currently serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
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Gurugram CA held for slitting pregnant wife's throat with scissors
Jhajjar (PTI): A chartered accountant has been arrested for allegedly killing his pregnant wife by slitting her throat with a pair of scissors and trying to pass it off as a robbery attempt, police said on Wednesday.
According to police, Anshul Dhawan (31) got married to Mehak (27) in September last year. Both worked in Gurugram.
Police received a call on Sunday night reporting that some unidentified people tried to rob Anshul, took his car and kidnapped his wife, SHO Badli, Inspector Suresh said.
When police reached the spot, they found the woman's body near a dry canal with injury marks on her neck, he said.
Suspecting inconsistencies in Anshul's version of events, police took him into custody for interrogation. He confessed that he had killed Mehak with a pair of scissors, wearing gloves, over suspicions about her character, SHO said.
"During his questioning, it came to light that he had pre-planned the murder. His wife worked in a private bank in Gurugram. He had doubts that she talked to her friends, and he did not like it," SHO added. Following the confession, Anshul was arrested on Monday.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police said.
Mehak's sister, Shruti, told the reporters that the family had doubts that Anshul was involved in the murder. She said, "We want justice; the killer should be hanged. He did not even think that his wife was two months pregnant."
She said on February 15, Anshul came to their house and stayed only for ten minutes and left with Mehal for Gurugram.
Shruti alleged that Anshul had pre-planned the murder.
