CBI Booked Lawyers Collective, Office-Bearers For Alleged FCRA Violation
Recent controversies around foreign funding of NGOs under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has created a lot of interest among activists, experts, lawyers and other concerned citizens.
In a statement, Lawyers Collective and its Trustees, including founding members Anand Grover and Indira Jaising, expressed shock and outrage at the move taken by CBI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked and filed FIR against Lawyers Collective (LC), its president Anand Grover and unknown office bearers for alleged violation of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA). They alleged that FIR has no legit basis in fact as well as in law.
LC argued that it has been filed to target the organisation and office bearers to silence them for the issues that they have taken in past and continue to taken up since 2016. They also claimed that “Even at the time, LC had pointed out that the FCRA proceedings were taken against it because its office bearers had taken up sensitive cases against the leading figures of the BJP and the Government of India, including Mr. Amit Shah, the present Home Minister, in the Sohrabuddin case, amongst others,”
Between 2006 and 2015, the LC, previously registered under FCRA, got more than 32 crores in international donations. The FIR says that the ministry received on-site inspection of the accounts made in January 2016 after it appeared prima facie that there were violations and sought explanations. Not satisfied with the responses, in November 2016, the Ministry lastly cancelled the registration of the Lawyers Collective.
Issue
The inspection report, part of the FIR, article 14 counts of supposed violations. They include supposed involvement in political operations, diversion or misuse of foreign contributions, and their use on air travel, draft legislative sessions, and dharnas.
“Documents also show that the resources have been spent on press advocacy with 67 MPs in March and April 2010, 99 MPs in August 2010” says the FIR with regard to the draft laws on HIV/AIDS Bill.
Another charge against the LC is to receive international funds specifically intended for Mr. Grover as the then UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. The FIR alleges that he appeared in Novartis’ case in the Supreme Court spending foreign contribution.
It is alleged that funds have also been spent on air travel and other expenses for employees / workers of other organizations and foreigners attending conferences in Kathmandu, Malaysia, Kenya, Vienna, Austria Mission, United States Consultation, Section 27 Conference, Moscow Consultation and Bangkok Meeting.
(By: Amit Nagar, The views expressed are writer’s personal. INBA owes no responsibility of any kind for the views expressed.)