ED Files Money-Laundering, Cheating Charges Against Journalist Rana Ayyub

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate filed money-laundering and cheating charges against journalist Rana Ayyub on Thursday.

Earlier this year, ED had attached Rs 1.77 crore of Ayyub in connection with a money-laundering case lodged against her for allegedly misusing funds collected in the name of charity through a website ketto.com.

According to ED officials, Ayyub allegedly diverted the funds into another account for personal expenses.

It has also been alleged that Ayyub cheated people on the pretext of COVID-19.

The complaint, filed in August 2021 with Ghaziabad police by Vikas Sankrityayan, alleged that Ayyub “cheated the general public in the name of charity.”

Ayyub allegedly had opened a fixed deposit (FD) account of Rs 50 lakh, which was collected through a non-profit campaign and diverted into FD from savings account through netbanking.

An FIR was lodged against Ayyub on September 7, 2021 at Indirapuram police station, with the journalist – who is attached with a global media house – being booked under sections 403, 406, 418, 420 of IPC, and section 66D of Information Technology Act.

Ayyub, who has often criticized the government in her articles, has denied the charges, calling the probe as a ‘witch hunt’ for standing against the Indian government.