PTI

New Delhi, October 13

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet in opposition to journalist Rana Ayyub beneath the anti-money laundering regulation, alleging that she utilised publicly raised funds of Rs 2.69 crore for herself and in addition contravened the overseas contribution regulation.

The federal company filed its prosecution grievance in opposition to Ayyub earlier than a particular Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) courtroom in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 12.

“Rana Ayyub launched three fundraiser charity campaigns on ‘Ketto platform’ starting April 2020 and collected funds totalling Rs 2,69,44,680,” the ED mentioned in a press release issued on Thursday.

The campaigns, it mentioned, had been meant to lift funds for slum-dwellers and farmers; reduction work for Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra and assist Ayyub and her staff to assist these impacted by covid-19 in India.

The probe discovered, the company mentioned, that the funds raised on the web platforms had been acquired within the accounts of Ayyub’s father and sister and subsequently transferred to her private accounts.

“Ayyub utilised these funds to create a fixed deposits of Rs 50 lakh for herself and also transferred Rs 50 lakh in a new bank account. Investigation found that only about Rs 29 lakh was used for relief work,” it claimed.

“In order to claim more expenses towards relief work, fake bills were submitted by Ayyub and subsequently, bank balances in the accounts of Ayyub amounting to Rs 1,77,27,704 (including FD of Rs 50 lakh) were attached under the PMLA vide a provisional attachment order dated 04.02.2022,” it mentioned.

The ED alleged Ayyub “illegally” raised the Rs 2.69 crore funds and “cheated” basic public donors.

“These funds were not used for the intended purpose and instead used for creation of assets for herself. Ayyub has tried to project these funds as untainted and thus has laundered the funds received from general public,” the company alleged.

“Ayyub also received these funds from foreign countries without any approval or registration from the government which is required under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010,” it mentioned.

The investigation by ED has “established that Rana Ayyub had launched the aforesaid campaigns with the sole intention to cheat the general public and acquired proceeds of crime in form of FD and balances in bank accounts projecting them as untainted”, the company mentioned.

The money-laundering case in opposition to her stems from a September, 2021 FIR of the Ghaziabad police associated to alleged irregularities in donor funds.

Ayyub had earlier rejected these allegations saying the money-laundering expenses levelled in opposition to her had been “preposterous and wholly mala fide”.