Delhi HC allows journalist Rana Ayyub to travel abroad

The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed journalist Rana Ayyub to travel abroad but with conditions.

On December 30, Ayyub was stopped from boarding a flight to London at the Mumbai International Airport over her alleged role in a money laundering case that is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Ayyub had filed a plea against the ED’s restraining order in the high court.

The court on Monday asked Ayyub to inform agencies about her whereabouts abroad. Her counsel also agreed to share Ayyub’s travel itinerary.

During the hearing, Ayyub’s counsel Vrinda Grover said that the journalist has been in touch with the ED and has also been willing to be present for questioning. Grover also rubbished the ED’s allegation that Ayyub has been evading probe into her alleged role in the money laundering case.

“There is nothing to show that Ayyub was evading or avoiding the ED…the lookout circular was issued on March 28 because the journalist had announced her programme on social media,” the counsel said, referring to the ED’s lookout circular which led to Ayyub’s detention at the airport.

The bench of Justice CD Singh said that a detailed order in this regard will be uploaded on the court’s website.

The case of money laundering is based on an FIR filed against Ayyub by Vikas Sankrityayan, founder of an NGO named Hindu IT Cell, with the Ghaziabad Police. The complainant alleged that Ayyub has illegally acquired over ₹2.69 crore from the public through an online crowdfunding medium called Ketto for COVID relief work.

On February 10, the agency attached Ayyub’s bank deposits worth ₹1.77 crore in connection with the case.

Ayyub, has refuted all the allegations against her, while stating that her bank statements have been “deliberately misread”.