Karnataka High Court: CISF Must Provide Full CCTV Footage in Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case

• The Karnataka High Court has ordered the CISF at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru to provide CCTV footage related to a gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao.
• The court's order was made after Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath submitted that there had been a misunderstanding among CISF officials regarding the extent of footage that could be furnished.
• The court's direction covers the entire period from 4:30 PM on March 3, 2025, to 6:00 AM on March 4, 2025, but the CISF officials only provided footage up to 7:00 PM.

Whatever we have preserved, we'll hand over

The Karnataka High Court has ordered the CISF at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru to provide CCTV footage related to a gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao. The court's order was made after Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath submitted that there had been a misunderstanding among CISF officials regarding the extent of footage that could be furnished. According to Kamath, the officials had believed that they were only required to provide footage up to 6:00 AM on March 4, 2025, despite the court's direction covering the entire period from 4:30 PM on March 3, 2025, to 6:00 AM on March 4, 2025. This misunderstanding led to the petitioner, Ranya Rao, not receiving the full footage she had requested.

The court's order is a significant development in the gold smuggling case against Ranya Rao. The case, which saw Ranya Rao's preventive detention upheld by the Supreme Court in April 2026, had earlier involved a directive from the Karnataka High Court on July 14, ordering the preservation and furnishing of CCTV footage related to the incident. Despite this directive, the CISF officials failed to provide the full footage requested by Rao, leading to a dispute over the extent of footage that could be furnished. The court's order highlights the importance of complying with court directives regarding CCTV footage preservation in cases involving security protocols at airports like Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

The Karnataka High Court's order has significant implications for lawyers representing individuals involved in gold smuggling cases. The order highlights the importance of complying with court directives regarding CCTV footage preservation and may require lawyers to advise their clients on potential consequences of non-compliance. In this case, the CISF officials' misunderstanding of the court's directive led to a dispute over the extent of footage that could be furnished, highlighting the need for clear communication and adherence to court orders in such cases.

Lawyers representing individuals involved in gold smuggling cases should be aware that the Karnataka High Court's order highlights the importance of complying with court directives regarding CCTV footage preservation, and may need to advise their clients on potential consequences of non-compliance.

Source: Original reporting via The Hindu