PMLA case: SC to hear Rana Ayyub’s plea against court summons next week

The Supreme Court is set to hear Rana Ayyub’s petition next week against the summons issued to her by a Ghaziabad court in a PMLA case, Live Law reported.

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover, representing Ayyub, sought an urgent listing when the matter came up before a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha on Tuesday. However, the court listed it for January 23.

In October last year, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a complaint against the journalist at the Ghaziabad court over alleged violations in raising funds for Covid relief. The central agency had previously locked Ayyub’s assets worth over Rs 1.77 crore.

Ayyub, who writes for influential international news platforms such as the Washington Post and is often critical of the Narendra Modi government, has been under investigation since she was named in an FIR in 2021 for allegedly raising money for charity but using it herself. In March last year, the journalist was stopped from flying out to London after she received summons from the ED.

The journalist had raised money for three relief campaigns on Ketto since early 2020 for those affected by Covid, floods and the migrant crisis caused by the Covid lockdown. In an email on August 27, 2021, Ketto told donors of Ayyub’s campaigns that she had raised Rs 2.69 crore, of which she spent Rs 1.25 crore and would pay Rs 90 lakh in taxes.