Bengaluru, Sept. 12 -- The Karnataka High Court has temporarily halted the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) provisional attachment of properties belonging to actress Ranya Rao. The ruling comes amid an ongoing investigation into a gold smuggling operation.
Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum issued the stay after Ranya's legal team challenged the ED's attachment order dated July 4, 2025, under Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The petition argued that some of the properties seized were acquired before the alleged offence took place in 2025. Citing the Supreme Court's Pavana Dibbur vs ED judgment, which prohibits the attachment of pre-offence assets, the court found the ED's action to be "without jurisdiction" in this...