The Karnataka High Court has issued a directive to officials at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to preserve the CCTV footage capturing the arrest of actor Ranya Rao on March 3. This footage is to be kept for both ongoing investigations and potential use in trial proceedings. Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the order in response to a petition filed by Rao’s mother, Rohini HN.
Rohini’s petition, submitted on April 1, requested specific measures to secure and protect the CCTV recordings from any tampering or deletion. Her request covered the footage from the time Rao disembarked from her flight from Dubai, moved through the aerobridge, and exited the Bengaluru airport. Additionally, the petition sought to preserve footage detailing Rao’s search, the seizures made by the authorities, and her subsequent arrest, which spanned from 4:30 PM on March 3 to 6:00 AM on March 4.
The urgency of the petition was underpinned by the fact that unused CCTV data at the airport is automatically deleted after 30 days, raising concerns about potential loss of evidence crucial for Rao’s defense. In court, Additional Solicitor General of India, Arvind Kamath, representing the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), assured that the footage was secure and could be preserved following specific court orders.
Justice Nagaprasanna’s ruling to preserve the footage aims to ensure that all relevant evidence remains available for the entirety of the legal process, acknowledging the critical role such evidence could play in the case’s resolution.
Ranya Rao was arrested by the DRI after she was found carrying gold bars valued at approximately ₹12.56 crore, allegedly smuggled into India. Further searches at her residence led to the discovery of additional gold jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 crore. Following her arrest, Rao’s bail plea was rejected by a sessions court last week, reflecting the seriousness of the charges against her.
