Delhi HC Asks For Status Report By ED On Rana Ayyub's Plea

The Delhi High Court has asked Enforcement Directorate to file a status report on the petition filed by columnist Rana Ayyub challenging the action of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in restraining her from travelling abroad.

The Bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will hear the matter on Monday at 2:30 pm.

Advocate Vrinda Grover appeared for the Rana Ayyub while Advocate Amit Mahajan appeared for the Enforcement Directorate.

Rana Ayyub is accused of a money laundering case that is being investigated by the ED. In February 2022, the ED had attached assets worth Rs 1.77 crore of Rana Ayyub for violation of provisions of the Money Laundering Act.

The order of attachment issued by the ED said, "Rana Ayyub has cheated the general Public Donors in a pre-planned manner and with the intention to cheat the general public donors".

She was stopped from flying to London on Tuesday at the Mumbai airport. "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", she had said on Twitter.

As per her plea, she was detained for almost two hours at the airport and was summed by email to appear before it on April 1.

The matter was mentioned on Thursday before the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla and the Bench had agreed to hear the matter today.