New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet in a Ghaziabad court against controversial journalist Rana Ayyub on charges of money laundering. The ED says that Rana Ayyub had campaigned to collect money with the intention of deceiving the general public. The agency had initiated a money laundering probe on the basis of an FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2021.

Rana Ayyub is alleged to have run campaigns to raise funds in the name of charity through the 'Keto' platform, through which common people have been cheated. According to investigating officers, Rana had conducted three operations. These include funds for farmers and slum dwellers in April-May 2020, relief work in Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra in June-September 2020 and funds for Covid-affected people in India between May and June 2021.

According to the report, Ayyub had received Rs 2.69 crore through three operations. Of this, Rs 80.49 lakh was foreign currency. Rana Ayyub returned the foreign grant after the Income Tax Department initiated an investigation against him after he allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA). According to the ED, the funds collected from the online platform came to the account of Ayyub's father and sister, which he later transferred to his personal bank account. He then created an FD of Rs 50 lakh for himself using the fund and sent another Rs 50 lakh to a new account.

Rana Ayyub spent only 29 lakh rupees out of 2.5 crores in relief work. The ED also says that fake bills were also submitted to show more expenditure for relief work. The investigating agency says that in the investigation it has been found that Rana Ayyub had started fundraising campaigns only with the aim of defrauding the people. At the same time, the agency also said that Job tried to show the money as immaculate.

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