Journalist Rana Ayyub was stopped from going to London on Tuesday evening on the basis of a lookout circular issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Let us inform that the ED is probing him in the alleged money laundering case. Rana Ayyub was about to take a flight to London from Mumbai International Airport on Tuesday evening. Now Rana Ayyub has been issued a fresh summon on Tuesday to appear in Delhi on April 1.
On being stopped from boarding a London flight, Rana Ayyub tweeted, ‘When I was about to board a flight to London to deliver my speech on intimidation of journalists at an event of the International Center for Journalists, then I stopped by the authorities. At the same time, I was to leave for Italy immediately after giving a speech on Indian democracy at the Journalism Festival.
ED sources said Ayyub was summoned twice, but he only responded to one summon following which a lookout circular was issued against him. Rana Ayyub has been issued fresh summons on Tuesday to appear in Delhi on April 1. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ayyub said, “I received the first summons in September or October last year, when the Mumbai ED was probing the forex violation case.
Job further said that, I not only met him in this matter, but also provided all the necessary documents. Then I got summons in January but at that time I was in the grip of Corona, so I had asked for more time. According to Ayyub, the fresh summons from the ED came after he was detained at the airport. Then told me that he would have to go back home.
Rana Ayyub said that she was also to receive the award and was also going to address the newsroom of The Guardian newspaper. Job told that I am constantly in touch with the ED and my entire plan has been public. He said that in fact, the documents that the Delhi ED is asking for, I have already submitted it to the Mumbai ED. But every time he asks me about the papers.
Ayyub says that she has written several times to the Mumbai ED in this regard, but has not received any response from her side. It may be noted that in February this year, the ED had attached an amount of Rs 1.77 crore belonging to Ayyub in connection with the case. The ED’s case is based on an FIR filed by the UP Police last year, alleging that Ayyub collected money through ‘Keto’ platform in the name of COVID relief work, but these money was not used properly. .
According to the ED, instead of using the money for relief work, Ayub deposited some money by opening a separate current bank account. Also made fixed deposits (FDs) of Rs 50 lakh from the money deposited from the charity and later did not use them for relief work. Ayyub was accused of by the ED that he had also deposited the money collected in the accounts of his sister and father.
In this case, the ED also alleged that Ayyub prepared fake bills to claim expenses on relief work. Along with this, he also used this deposited money for personal expenses. Rana Ayyub, however, had rubbished the allegations, saying the money laundering allegations against him were “absurd and wholly malicious”.