Ranya Rao Case: Who Is Sahil Sakariya Jain And What Is He Accused Of In The Gold Smuggling Racket?
Ballari gold dealer Sahil Sakariya Jain is accused of aiding Ranya Rao in the disposal of smuggled gold and sharing the proceeds from its sale multiple times.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested Sahil Sakariya Jain, the third suspect in the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case. Sahil, implicated in the disposal of smuggled gold, was presented before a magistrate on March 26, leading to the authorities securing four days of custody for further investigation.
The DRI believes Sahil’s involvement is crucial in unveiling a larger smuggling network. Before Sahil’s arrest, Ranya Rao and her business associate, Tarun Kondaru Raju, were already apprehended in connection with the racket.
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Sahil Sakariya Jain is the son of businessman Mahendra Kumar Jain, residing in Ballari’s Brahmin street. CNN-NEWS18 obtained the arrest memo that detailed Sahil’s apprehension by the DRI in the early hours of March 26. He is accused of aiding Ranya Rao in the disposal of smuggled gold and sharing the proceeds from its sale multiple times, as evidenced by his statements in the DRI arrest memo. The DRI expressed concerns that Sahil might continue to assist in the illicit sale of smuggled gold.
The arrest memo states that Sahil has likely committed offences under Section 135 (1) (b) of the Customs Act, 1962, which are punishable and cognisable under various sub-sections of the same Act. The memo highlights that the offences are non-bailable, emphasising the severity of the charges against him.
The Ranya Rao Case Probe
Meanwhile, the probe team believes that IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao was aware of his stepdaughter Ranya Rao’s misuse of protocol privileges. Government sources informed News18 that there is prima facie evidence indicating Ramachandra Rao’s knowledge of these violations. The investigation, led by Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, has submitted a report to the government, though the details have not been publicly disclosed.
Ramachandra Rao, a 1993-batch IPS officer, has been under scrutiny since his stepdaughter’s arrest. Holding the position of chairman and managing director for the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation, he was placed on “compulsory leave" by the Karnataka government.
Ranya Rao was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 3, upon her return from Dubai, where gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore were seized. Further searches at her residence revealed gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. During her interrogation, Ranya admitted that the money used to purchase the gold was transferred through hawala channels.
Senior advocate Madhu Rao, representing the DRI, confirmed this confession during court proceedings. A bail plea hearing for Ranya Rao took place at the 64th CCH Sessions Court in Bengaluru. Her counsel, Kiran Jawali, argued for her release, while DRI counsel Rao presented evidence directly linking her to the illicit transfer of funds. The court reserved its bail order for March 27 after hearing arguments from both sides.
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