Preserve Ranya Rao’s CCTV footage for use in trial, HC tells airport officials

The Karnataka high court on Wednesday directed that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of arrested actor Ranya Rao from the Bengaluru airport to be preserved for the purposes of investigation and trial. Justice M Nagaprasanna directed the authorities at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to preserve the CCTV footage from March 3 this year, the day that Rao was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Airport.

“The CCTV footage that is available for the purpose of investigation as on today, shall be preserved for the completion of investigation, and if necessary, for the trial,” the high court said.

The court passed the order while disposing of a petition filed by Rao’s mother, Rohini HN.

Rohini had moved the court on April 1, seeking directions to the authorities at KIA, the DRI, and the Airports Authority of India to “secure” and “prevent any tampering or deletion” of any CCTV footage available from March 3, from the time that Rao disembarked from the Emirates flight from Dubai, her passage through the aerobridge, and her exit from the Bengaluru airport.

Rohini had also sought that all footage pertaining to Rao’s search by the authorities, all seizures made, and her arrest spanning from 4.30 pm on March 3 to 6 am, on March 4, be kept intact.

She had said in her plea that since all unused CCTV data gets automatically deleted after 30 days, any footage recorded at the Airport that was related to Rao’s case must be preserved and kept in safe custody of the high court.

Additional solicitor general of India, Arvind Kamath, who appeared for DRI, told the Court that such footage was safe and available with the authorities for investigation purposes. It can be preserved if the court passed specific directions, Kamath told the bench.

The high court accordingly, passed the order directing that all relevant CCTV footage be preserved.

As per DRI, Rao was found in possession of gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore at the time of her arrest from the Bengaluru’s International Airport upon her arrival from Dubai. Subsequent searches at her residence led to the seizure of gold jewellery valued at ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 crore.

Last week, a sessions court in the city had rejected Rao’s bail plea in the case.