Rana Ayyub: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against journalist Rana Ayyub in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in funds collected by her for relief work. The ED chargesheet said Rana raised funds through crowdfunding but used Rs 2.69 for personal benefit.
The ED filed the prosecution complaint against Ayyub before a Special Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) court in Ghaziabad.
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FIR by UP police
The case is based on an FIR filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police last year where it was said that though Ayyub collected huge funds through Ketto, an online crowdfunding platform, in the name of relief work for slum dwellers and farmers, relief work for Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra. However, she diverted the funds. The fundraiser campaigns were meant to help Rana Ayyub to help those affected adversely by the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The ED said that the funds were received in the bank accounts of Rana Ayyub’s father and sister and later transferred to her personal accounts.
Accounts attached
The agency had attached bank deposits of Rs 1.77 crore belonging to Ayyub in February and a lookout notice was issued against her that prevented her from flying abroad. “Investigations conducted by Directorate of Enforcement make it abundantly clear that the funds were raised in the name of charity in a completely pre-planned and systematic manner and the funds were not utilized completely for the purpose of which the funds were raised,” the ED had said in a statement.
According to ED, Ayyub parked some of the funds by opening a separate current bank account. “Ms. Rana Ayyub also created a Fixed Deposit of Rs. 50 Lakh from the funds raised on Ketto and subsequently did not utilize these for relief works. She deposited a total of Rs 74.50 lakhs in PM Cares fund and CM Relief Fund,” it statement.
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Proceeds of crime
“Accordingly, at the stage of the investigation, the proceeds of crime are quantified as Rs.1,77,27,704/- and the interest generated upon the said FD of Rs. 50 Lakh,” it added.
In September last year the UP police an FIR against Ayyub at Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad based on a complaint by Vikas Sankrityayan.
“Funds totalling to Rs. 2,69,44,680/-were raised on Ketto by Rana Ayyub. These funds were withdrawn from the bank accounts of her sister/father. Out of this amount, Rs.72,01,786/- was withdrawn in her own bank account, Rs. 37,15,072/- was withdrawn in her sister Iffat Shaikh’s account and Rs 1,60,27,822/- was withdrawn in her father Mohd Ayyub Waquif’s bank account. All these funds from her sister’s and father’s accounts were subsequently transferred to her own account,” the ED statement said.
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