Vikas Sakrityayan of the Hindu IT cell, based on whose complaint an FIR was registered against controversial journalist Rana Ayyub over money laundering and fraud related to her fundraising campaign on September 7, has taken to Twitter to give an update on the case. According to Vikas Sakrityayan, they have now written to law enforcement agencies to take immediate cognizance of the FIR against Rana Ayyub.
The Hindu IT cell member, through his lawyer Dr Kislay Panday, has requested the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to also take cognizance of the FIR, as the matter involves substantial Foreign Funding by way of illegal means.
My eminent lawyer @kislaypanday, has written to law enforcement agencies to take immediate cognizance of the FIR against Rana Ayyub.
— विकास पांडेय (@MODIfiedVikas) September 10, 2021
We have requested the FIU, ED and CBI to take cognizance of the FIR as the matter involves substantial Foreign Funding by way of illegal means 2/2
On September 7, an FIR was filed against Rana Ayyub at Indrapuram police station in Ghaziabad in UP in response to a complaint filed by Vikas Sakrityayan of the Hindu IT cell.
The complaint accused Rana Ayyub of Money Laundering, Cheating, Dishonest Misappropriation of Property, Criminal Breach of Trust by illegally acquiring money from the general public in the name of charity. It says that Rana Ayyub happens to be a journalist by profession and was receiving foreign money without any kind of approval certificate/registration from the government, which is required as per the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010. Hence, she liable is also liable for violating the provisions of FCRA, the complaint had stated.
Based on this complaint, the FIR was registered under sections 403, 406, 418, 420 or the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 66D of the IT Act and section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The case relates to three fundraising campaigns Rana Ayyub had conducted on Ketto, Funds for slum dwellers and farmers, Relief work for Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra, and Help for Covid-19 impacted people in India. However, doubts were raised on the campaigns since the beginning, as the journalist was accepting foreign donations without the mandatory FCRA approval.
