Sahil Jain, third accused in gold smuggling case, remanded to custody until April 7

Bengaluru: The Special Court for Economic Offences has remanded Sahil Jain, the third accused in the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actor Ranya Rao, to judicial custody until April 7.

The directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had produced Jain before the court following the completion of his custody period on Wednesday, as investigations into the multi-crore smuggling operation continue.

Ranya, stepdaughter of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on March 3 after DRI officials found her in possession of 14.2 kg of gold bars worth ₹12.5 crore, upon her arrival from Dubai.

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The second accused in the case, Tarun Raju, was arrested on March 11. Authorities allege that he collaborated with Ranya in smuggling gold from Dubai. “Investigations indicate that Raju and Rao travelled to Dubai together 26 times, frequently returning on the same day with gold,” the remand order states.

According to the DRI, Jain played a crucial role in smuggling gold into India, including 14.5 kg of gold brought in by Rao on January 11. The seized gold, valued at ₹11.8 crore, led to a customs duty loss of approximately ₹4.46 crore. Jain is also suspected of assisting in previous instances of smuggled gold disposal and was allegedly preparing to handle another 14.2 kg of gold seized from Rao on March 3.

The investigators reportedly recovered digital evidence from two mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Jain, which they believe will further “establish his role in the smuggling and money laundering network.”

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The authorities suspect these devices contain extensive records of transactions and communications related to illicit trade.

The court documents revealed financial transactions linked to the smuggling network. “He has assisted and abetted A1 (Rao) in disposing of approximately 49.6 kg of gold, worth around ₹40.13 crore, and has admitted to facilitating hawala transactions amounting to ₹38.39 crore to Dubai,” the remand order said, which has been accessed by HT.

Jain reportedly confessed to aiding in the transfer of ₹1.73 crore to A1 in Bengaluru. “He admitted to transferring hawala money of ₹30.34 lakh to A1 in Bengaluru. During January 2025, he facilitated the disposal of 14.568 kg of gold worth ₹11.55 crore and assisted in transferring ₹11 crore through hawala networks to Dubai, along with ₹55 lakh to A1 in Bengaluru,” the order said.

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“In February, he aided in the disposal of 13.433 kg of gold valued at ₹11.8 crore, transferring ₹11.25 crore to Dubai and ₹55.81 lakh to A1 in Bengaluru,” the order further said.

“The ₹2.67 crore seized from Ranya Rao’s residence on March 4 appears to be hawala money received as profit from purchasing gold in Dubai and selling it in Bengaluru,” the order report added.

Jain also admitted to receiving a commission of ₹55,000 per transaction, it added.

Jain, originally from Ballari, Karnataka, belongs to a family owning clothing business. He was living in Mumbai.

Police suspect that a Dubai-based company, in which Raju was a partner, acted as a front for laundering smuggling proceeds. The Special Court for Economic Offences denied his bail, citing substantial evidence of his involvement.