The Supreme Court docket dismissed Rana Ayyub’s plea in cash laundering case

Journalist Rana Ayyub’s efforts to problem the petition filed towards her by a UP courtroom in a cash laundering case has failed because the Supreme Court docket dismissed her plea on Tuesday.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) lodged a cash laundering case towards Rana Ayyub, and in response, to this, a particular Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA) courtroom in Ghaziabad issued a petition towards her.

As per the Supreme Court docket, the questions on what occurred and what the underside line is, are essential to be selected proof. Due to this fact,  it leaves the query open to citing this matter earlier than the trial courtroom. The highest courtroom mentioned that they’re dismissing the petition filed by Rana Ayyub.

A bench headed by Justice V Ramasubramanian heard the case, and the order was handed on Rana Ayyub’s plea towards the Ghaziabad courtroom’s order. 

Journalist Rana Ayyub had introduced up the query that the Ghaziabad courtroom has no authority to listen to the problem that was, allegedly, going down in Mumbai. 

In response to Rana’s plea, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) consultant mentioned within the courtroom that cash laundering just isn’t the one offense that was dedicated, and the problem is linked with different scheduled offenses.

He additionally added that this difficulty incorporates many individuals from Uttar Pradesh who’ve additionally donated some quantity to Rana Ayyub’s marketing campaign. These cash donations had been supposedly being misused, in line with the ED. 

The Supreme Court docket had beforehand posted Ayyub’s plea listening to on January 31, 2023, and the Ghaziabad courtroom listening to was adjourned in the interim.

Through the listening to, Rana Ayyub’s advocate Vrinda Grover laid down all of the the explanation why the Ghaziabad courtroom has no authority and jurisdiction to carry a listening to on this difficulty.

Advocate Vrinda Grover mentioned that the criticism ought to have been filed in Mumbai as a result of it’s the location of the supposed offense that befell. The checking account that obtained the donated quantity and was concerned within the exploitation of funds was regulated in Navi Mumbai. She additionally acknowledged that no exercise referring to the alleged offense went down in Uttar Pradesh.

Solicitor Common Tushar Mehta, showing for the ED, countered the explanations acknowledged by saying that the case was linked to many different offenses. He talked about that the funds obtained within the marketing campaign had been geared in the direction of “journey and pleasure”.

The problem began when a PMLA courtroom in Ghaziabad launched an order on November 29, 2022, to summon Rana Ayyub and requested her to be current earlier than it on January 27, 2023. 

THE START OF RANA AYYUB’S FALL

Final yr in October, the ED filed a criticism earlier than the Gazhiabad courtroom towards the journalist over obvious violations in publicly elevating cash. The case was lodged in response to a criticism registered in September 2021 in Ghaziabad underneath specs of the IPC’s Black Cash Act and IT Act towards Rana Ayyub.

Within the FIR, it was reported that Ayyub had illegally collected funds from most people within the title of charity by organizing fundraiser campaigns. It additionally talked about that she accepted international donations with out registering them underneath the International Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

As per the ED investigation, Ayyub organized three fundraiser campaigns and obtained complete funds estimated ₹2.69 crores. These campaigns had been organized within the title of elevating funds for farmers and slum dwellers, to assist individuals impacted by COVID-19 in India, and funds for reduction work for Bihar, Assam, and Maharashtra.

The ED mentioned that the funds raised had been deposited in her sister’s and father’s financial institution accounts. As soon as the funds had been obtained in these two accounts they had been then subsequently transferred to her financial institution accounts.