Journalist Rana Ayyub stopped from boarding UK flight; authorities cite lookout notice against her

Journalist Rana Ayyub was on Tuesday stopped at the Mumbai international airport from flying abroad in the wake of a ‘look out circular’ issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against her in connection with a money laundering case. The central probe agency said it wants to question and record Ayyub’s statement in a money laundering case against her.

Ayyub posted about the incident on her Twitter handle. “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 posted.

Posting a subsequent tweet, she said these events “have been planned and publicised all over my social media for weeks.” “Yet, curiously the Enforcement directorate summon arrived in my mail much after I was stopped at the immigration. What do you fear?” Ayyub said.