Ranya Rao's SHOCKING claim: DRI officials slapped 10-15 times, denied food, forced to sign 40 blank pages
Actor Ranya Rao, in a letter to DRI, claims innocence, alleging assault and coercion into signing documents.
FollowIn a dramatic turn in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) case, accused Harshavardhini Ranya Rao has written a letter to the agency asserting her innocence and alleging physical assault and coercion by officials. The five-page handwritten letter, dated March 6 and sent through prison authorities the following day, is addressed to the Additional Director General of DRI, HBR Layout, Bengaluru.
Ranya, 33, who identifies herself as the wife of Jatin Hukkeri, claims she has been falsely implicated in the case. In the letter, she details alleged mistreatment during her apprehension and custody.
“I was apprehended inside the aircraft and arrested without being given an opportunity to explain. From the time of my apprehension to my production in court, I was hit and slapped on my face at least 10-15 times by officials whom I can identify,” Ranya wrote, further alleging that DRI officials threatened to expose her father’s identity unless she signed documents.
According to her, the pressure and physical assault forced her to sign 50-60 typed pages and around 40 blank pages. She also claimed she was denied proper food and sleep during her DRI custody.
"No mahazar, as claimed, was ever drawn, nor was my search conducted or anything recovered from me. Some Delhi officials clearly want to protect other passengers and frame me," she alleged in the letter.
Ranya has urged authorities to disregard any statements recorded during her custody, stating they were made under duress. She signed the letter as undertrial prisoner (UTP) number 2198/25.
DRI opposes bail application moved by Ranya Rao's co-accused in gold smuggling case
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has filed objections to the bail application of Tarun Konduru, a co-accused in the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress Ranya Rao. The DRI requested the Special Court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru not to grant bail to Konduru who is accused number -2 in the case.
On Friday, the court denied bail to Ranya Rao, noting that the charges against her were serious. She has now moved to Sessions Court here for bail.
She was arrested on March 3 by the DRI at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAD) in Bengaluru for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold from Dubai.
The CBI has filed an FIR in the gold smuggling case on the complaint of Abhishek Chandra Gupta, Additional Director of DRI.
The FIR has been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) on the complaint of Abhishek Chandra Gupta. The complaint discloses the cognizable offences U/s 7 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 20148) r/w 61(2) of BNS.
According to the complaint, after Ranya Rao's arrest on March 3, two foreign nationals were also arrested on March 6 from Mumbai airport for attempting to smuggle 21.28 Kg of gold into India worth Rs. 18.92 crores, as per the complaint.
Abhishek Chandra Gupta, Additional Director of DRI, in his complaint has said that these cases involving passengers making trips from Dubai and attempting to smuggle gold in large quantities points to a "possible nexus" with coordinated smuggling syndicate, possibly operating from Dubai (UAE).
In Ranya Rao's case, she travelled to Dubai multiple times while the two arrested foreign nationals have previously arrived Mumbai airport multiple times.
Gupta in his complaint has also suspected the possibility of involvement of public servants and others.
"The above two cases detected in quick succession involving passengers making trips from Dubai, the attempted smuggling of large quantities of gold into India and the high frequency of these visits involving Indian and foreign nationals, points to a possible nexus with coordinated smuggling syndicate, possibly operating from Dubai (UAE). This may have larger national and international ramifications. The possibility of involvement of unknown public servants of the Govt. of India and unknown others, with such coordinated network, needs to be investigated," the complaint said.
(With inputs from ANI)
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