New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday assets worth Rs 1.77 crores allegedly belonging to journalist Rana Ayyub under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“Rana Ayyub has cheated the general public donors in a pre-planned manner and with the intention to cheat the general public donors,” ED stated in its attachment order.
According to ED, Ayyub’s scam started from the time she collected the money and started withdrawing it from her savings account and those of her family members. A fixed deposit amounting to Rs 50 lakh was allegedly booked from her savings bank account through net banking and opening a separate current account.
Subsequently, funds were transferred from her savings account and accounts of her sister and father, but it was not utilized for the purpose for which it was raised by the journalist, ED claimed.
The central agency termed the funds raised and misused by Ayyub as ‘proceeds of crime’.
“Rana Ayyub knowingly indulged in proceeds of crime including its acquisition, possession, use and projecting it as untainted property and therefore, she has committed the offence of money laundering as defined under section 3 of the Act, 2002 which is punishable under section 4 of the Act,” the ED order states.
ED initiated a probe against Ayyub after an FIR was filed by UP Police in September 2021.
Complainant Vikas Sankrityayan had alleged that Ayyub illegally acquired public money through relief measure campaigns on Ketto.
ED apart, the Income Tax department is also investigating financial transactions in the matter.
ED has also claimed that Ayyub received foreign donations without mandatory approval under FCRA (foreign contribution regulation act).
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