The Karnataka High Court has directed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) stationed at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru to provide comprehensive CCTV footage to Kannada actress Harshavardhini, also known as Ranya Rao, concerning a gold smuggling case against her. This decision came during a hearing held on Wednesday, presided over by Justice Suraj Govindaraj.
The case revolves around a plea filed by Ranya Rao, who alleged that the CISF failed to comply with a previous court order dated July 14, which mandated the preservation and provision of CCTV footage spanning from 4:30 PM on March 3, 2025, to 6:00 AM the next day. Rao’s legal representative, Mahesh YL, presented these concerns to the court.
According to Rao’s counsel, the footage initially provided by the CISF only covered the time from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM on March 3, 2025. This partial compliance prompted the court to inquire why a contempt of court petition had not been pursued by Rao. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Arvind Kamath, representing the CISF, explained that there was a misunderstanding among CISF officials regarding the timeframe specified in the court’s order. They believed the footage beyond 6:00 AM could not be supplied, despite the court’s directive covering the entire period up to 6:00 AM.
ASG Kamath assured the court that any preserved footage would be made available to Rao. He noted that while the original footage had been overwritten, the sections preserved according to the court’s directive remained intact and could be produced as needed. “Whatever we have preserved, we’ll hand over,” Kamath stated.
The CCTV footage in question captures Rao’s movements after her arrival on Emirates flight EK-566, including her passage through the aerobridge, immigration, duty-free, and baggage areas, as well as customs clearance and the alleged search and seizure operations. The footage is crucial to the ongoing legal proceedings in the gold smuggling case.
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Ranya Rao was apprehended by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3, 2025, after being accused of attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold valued at approximately ₹12.56 crore from Dubai. Although she was initially granted default bail due to the DRI’s failure to file a chargesheet on time, she remained in custody under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA).
After completing a year in preventive detention, Rao was released from Bengaluru’s Central Prison in April 2026. Nonetheless, she continues to face legal proceedings in connection with the gold smuggling allegations, alongside other accused individuals.
