38.6c New Delhi, India, Friday, March 29, 2024
Judiciary

'Money collected from crowd used for personal enjoyment, luxuries’, ED to SC on Rana Ayyub’s plea against summons in money laundering case

By LawStreet News Network      31 January, 2023 11:05 PM      0 Comments
'Money collected from crowd used for personal enjoyment, luxuries’, ED to SC on Rana Ayyub’s plea against summons in money laundering case

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that journalist Rana Ayyub collected money through crowdfunding platforms for slum dwellers, Covid, and some work in Assam, but diverted the money and used it for “personal enjoyment and pleasure".

The agency led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed before a bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and J B Pardiwala that Ayyub's writ petition against the summons issued by a Ghaziabad court in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.

Mehta said over Rs one crore was collected and Rs 50 Lakh was transferred to a personal account in fixed deposit, and after the first campaign was over she kept receiving money.

“We found that money was diverted and used for personal enjoyment, luxuries and pleasure. People were donating crores without knowing where money was going,” he said.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Ayyub, contended her client can't be deprived of personal liberty by a procedure not authorised by law.

Grover said the ED has attached her client’s personal bank account in a bank at Navi Mumbai in which around Rs one crore was lying. She said when her account is in Navi Mumbai and she lived over there, the Ghaziabad court can't exercise jurisdiction to try the offence.

"There is threat to my personal liberty, there is no authority in law to issue summons, I never shied away from facing law," she said, citing the Supreme Court's judgement in Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary.

She said the special court has to be set up in area where the offence has been committed.

She also claimed complainant, Vikas Pandey a Hindu IT cell member, has no grievance, he has not been cheated by her.

Mehta, for his part, further submitted that a prosecution complaint was filed in the Ghaziabad court by the agency as part of the cause of action had arisen in Uttar Pradesh, where many people, including from Ghaziabad, donated money for her crowdfunding campaign.

Mehta said the money laundering offence is not an independent offence and is always connected to a scheduled offence for which an FIR was lodged in Indirapuram police station of Ghaziabad.

Mehta also alleged that money was shown by fake bills, groceries, among others, and was used for personal luxury items and consumption.

Citing Ayyub’s counsel arguments, Mehta emphasized that if a person chose to launder money in Singapore or Thiruvananthapuram, the agency has to go there and lodge a case. He said, "this is not the scheme of the law".

At the end, Mehta also said a judicial order of summons cannot be subjected to a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution.

After hearing arguments, the apex court reserved its verdict on a plea by Ayyub challenging the summonses issued by a special court in Ghaziabad in the money laundering case.

The special court has noted the alleged offence is connection with obtaining illegally money from the general public in the name of charity via ‘Ketto’ platform, which is an online crowdfunding platform, in three campaigns without any kind of approval, raising huge amounts in the bank account of her sister and father and later transferring the same to her own bank account which was not used for the intended purpose.

On January 25, the court had asked the Ghaziabad court which issued summons against journalist Rana Ayyub for January 27 to defer its hearing in the case.

The court, however, had asked her if the High Court concerned is powerless to decide her plea, which had questioned the jurisdiction of the Uttar Pradesh court.



Share this article:

User Avatar
About:


Leave a feedback about this
TRENDING NEWS

arvind-kejriwals-plea-for-interim-release-rejected-by-delhi-high-court
Trending Judiciary
Arvind Kejriwal's plea for interim release rejected by Delhi High Court [Read Order]

Delhi High Court rejects Arvind Kejriwal's plea for interim release in money laundering case related to liquor policy scam, pending ED's response.

28 March, 2024 10:50 AM
youtuber-strings-plea-against-youtube-accounts-suspension-andhra-pradesh-hc-issues-notice-to-centre-google
Trending Top Stories
BREAKING: Youtuber String’s plea against Youtube accounts suspension: Andhra Pradesh HC issues notice to Centre, Google

Andhra Pradesh High Court issues notice to the Centre and Google LLC on Youtube journalist String’s plea against suspension of its accounts by Google (which owns Youtube).

28 March, 2024 11:26 AM

TOP STORIES

delhi-liquor-scam-court-remands-arvind-kejriwal-to-ed-custody-till-march-28-read-remand-application
Trending Judiciary
Delhi liquor scam: Court remands Arvind Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28 [Read Order]

Delhi liquor scam: Arvind Kejriwal remanded to ED custody till March 28. Court grants agency permission for interrogation in liquor policy case.

23 March, 2024 11:53 AM
sc-dismisses-centres-plea-for-review-of-judgment-directing-ed-to-furnish-written-grounds-of-arrest-to-pmla-accused
Trending Judiciary
SC dismisses Centre’s plea for review of judgment directing ED to furnish written grounds of arrest to PMLA accused [Read Order]

Supreme Court dismisses Centre's plea, upholds judgment mandating Enforcement Directorate to provide written grounds of arrest in PMLA cases.

23 March, 2024 03:14 PM
kerala-hc-to-hear-lesbian-couples-plea-against-forced-conversion-therapy-on-april-9
Trending Judiciary
Kerala HC to hear lesbian couple’s plea against forced conversion therapy on April 9

Kerala HC will hear a lesbian couple’s plea highlighting that one of them was subjected to forced conversion therapy.

23 March, 2024 03:30 PM
how-can-people-be-compelled-to-vote-madras-hc-asks
Trending Judiciary
“How can people be compelled to vote? Madras HC asks

“How can people be compelled to vote?”, the Madras HC queried in a plea asking employers in Tamil Nadu to demand proof from employees of having voted on polling day.

23 March, 2024 05:04 PM

ADVERTISEMENT


Join Group

Signup for Our Newsletter

Get Exclusive access to members only content by email