The Supreme Court has upheld the preventive detention of Kannada actor Harshavardhini Ranya Rao and her aide Sahil Jain under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) in an alleged gold smuggling case.
A bench of justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh dismissed a petition filed by Rao's family members, who had challenged a Karnataka high court order passed in December last year.
The apex court held that there was sufficient material to justify their detention and a reasonable basis to conclude that they could engage in similar activities if released.
The bench rejected the petitioners' arguments that Rao and Jain had been denied effective representation or access to documents relied upon by the authorities in the case.
The Supreme Court said that it found no violation of Article 22 of the Constitution, which provides safeguards for citizens against detention and arrest in certain cases.
