PMLA Case: Rana Ayyub Used Rs 2.69 crore Charity Funds for Self

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against journalist Rana Ayyub in a money laundering case. The ED’s prosecution complaint, an equivalent of a charge sheet, noted that she launched three fundraiser campaigns on ‘Ketto platform’ but utilised the funds for herself. She has also been accused of contravening the foreign contribution law.

The central agency, which is probing into the alleged irregularities in funds collected by Rana Ayyub, filed the charge sheet in a PMLA court in Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. In the charge sheet, the journalist is accused of running fundraiser charity campaigns since April 2020 and collected a total of Rs 2.69 crore. 

“Rana Ayyub launched three fundraiser charity campaigns on 'Ketto platform' starting from April, 2020 and collected funds totalling Rs 2,69,44,680,” noted the ED statement on Thursday. 

According to ED, the campaigns were titled as Help in raising funds for slum dwellers and farmers; Relief work for Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra; and Help Rana Ayyub and her team to help those impacted by Covid19 in India. 

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During the probe, the ED officials also found that the funds raised through an online platform went into the accounts of Ayyub’s father and sister and later the amounts were transferred to her personal accounts. It was also found that out of raised funds, only Rs 29 lakh were spent for relief work. 

“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,” the statement added.