Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub has submitted a petition requesting the Delhi High Court seeking permission to travel outside India. On March 29, she was stopped by Indian Immigration officials from boarding a flight to London concerning the money laundering case against her.
[BREAKING] Rana Ayyub moves Delhi High Court against restrictions on foreign travel
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 31, 2022
report by @prashantjha996 #RanaAyyub #DelhiHighCourt @RanaAyyub https://t.co/Z2MgPdeml2
Ayyub has now approached the Delhi High Court challenging the alleged ban on her international travel. On Thursday, the counsel for Rana Ayyub has submitted a petition before Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla. He has requested that since Ayyub has to travel abroad the next day, the matter should be listed as early as possible. The Court maintained that if it is filed before 11 am, it will be listed tomorrow.
On March 29, Ayyub claimed on Twitter that she was stopped from leaving India at the immigration while trying to board a flight to London. She was to participate in an event in Italy where she was invited to talk on ‘Indian Democracy’. However, it looks like Rana Ayyub was barred from leaving the country based on a lookout circular issued by the Enforcement Directorate against her in a money laundering case.
I was stopped today at the Indian immigration while I was about to board my flight to London to deliver my speech on the intimidation of journalists with @ICFJ . I was to travel to Italy right after to deliver the keynote address at the @journalismfest on the Indian democracy
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 29, 2022
In February 2022, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 1.77 crore of Rana Ayyub over allegations of violation of provisions of the Money Laundering Act. The ED in its attachment order had noted, “Rana Ayyub has cheated the general Public Donors in a pre-planned manner and with the intention to cheat the general public donors.”
During the probe, it was found that Rana had collected thousands of dollars in the name of Covid relief and had kept them in personal bank accounts and fixed deposits in the name of her family members.
