Delhi HC restrains ED from proceeding further concerning attached funds of Rana Ayyub
New Delhi, Aug 17: The Delhi High Court Wednesday restrained the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from proceeding further concerning the provisional attachment of funds of journalist Rana Ayyub in connection with an alleged money laundering probe against her.
Justice Yashwant Varma issued notice to the investigating agency on Ayyub's petition against the provisional attachment and sought a response from it within six weeks.
The court also restrained Ayyub in the meantime from disposing of or creating any third-party rights concerning the attached funds lying in certain bank accounts.
Till the next date of listing, the respondent (ED) shall stand restrained from taking further steps as contemplated under Section 8 (Adjudication) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The petitioner shall also stand restrained from disposing of or creating any third party rights or encumbering the property which forms the subject matter of the provisional order of attachment, ordered the court.
Ayyub, represented by advocate Vrinda Grover, said that the provisional attachment order of February 2022 has lapsed and ceased to exist upon expiry of 180 days and the Adjudicating Authority therefore can no longer pass an order of confirmation.
In her plea, the journalist said that under Article 300A of the Constitution of India, she has the constitutional right not to be deprived of her property save by authority of law, and the continued attachment of her property beyond the statutorily authorized period of 180 days was arbitrary, lacks jurisdiction and without the authority of law.
The ED has attached over Rs 1.77 crore of Ayyub's funds held in two accounts of a private bank in Navi Mumbai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The money-laundering case against Ayyub was filed by the ED after taking cognisance of a September 2021 FIR of the Ghaziabad police (Uttar Pradesh) related to alleged irregularities in donor funds of over Rs 2.69 crore raised by her through Ketto .
The agency has said its probe makes it abundantly clear that the funds were raised in the name of charity in a completely pre-planned and systematic manner, and the funds were not utilised completely for the purpose of which the funds were raised .
The court listed the case for further hearing on November 17.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
