Ghaziabad Police Book Journalist Rana Ayyub In Donations Case

Pic courtesy: ThePrint

New Delhi: An FIR has been registered against journalist Rana Ayyub by the Ghaziabad Police following crowdfunding platform Ketto’s e-mail to donors of the campaign started by her. The e-mail by the “Indian law enforcement agencies” informed the donors that the funds were “not utilised for the purpose for which they were raised”.

Calls, messages and e-mails were not responded by Ayyub. A ‘Hindu IT Cell’ co-founder Vikas Sankrityayan registered the FIR accusing Ayyub of illegally acquiring public money in the name of charity.

Sankrityayan, in his complaint to the Ghaziabad police, said that Ketto had sent a letter to those who had donated to Ayyub’s fund-raising campaigns.

It is also alleged that the journalist “receiving foreign money without any kind of approval certificate/registration from the government” is a violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.

“An FIR has been filed in Indirapuram police station for alleged misuse of donation funds. We will have to examine evidence since it involves another organisation,” Circle Officer, Indirapuram, Abhay Kumar was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Ketto Representatives also did not reply to queries regarding the enforcement agencies that contacted them.

“Ketto has been informed by the Indian law enforcement agencies that the funds (partly of fully) raised in the said campaigns were not utilised for the purpose for which they were raised and the funds (partly) are still in the accounts of the respective campaigns,” said Ketto’s email sent on August 27.

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