CBI Searches At Activist Harsh Mander's Delhi Residence, NGO Premises (image:harshmander.in)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted searches at activist and retired IAS officer Harsh Mander”s residence and office premises alleging violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
Harsh Mander, human rights activist and renowned author, is the founder of the of the NGO Aman Biradari. He was also a member of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council during the erstwhile UPA government.
Following a complaint by the Union Home Ministry, First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Centre for Equity Studies (CES) for alleging that the organisation acted as a conduit for transferring foreign contribution received by it under the FCRA to non-FCRA associations, Hindustan Times reports. Mander is a director of CES.
According to the home ministry, Aman Biradari is non-FCRA organisation. CES’s FCRA licence was suspended in June last year.
“A report by the Centre for Equity Studies in collaboration with Delhi Research Group and “Karwan-E-Mohabbat” was published by CES in June 2020. Karwan-e Mohabbat is a campaign run under the non-FCRA association Aman Biradari Trust (ABT), which is closely associated with Centre of Equity Studies and Harsh Mander,” Home Ministry said in the order.
Prashant Bhushan, public interest lawyer and activist, condemning the CBI raid, wrote on X: “He [Harsh Mander] is being targeted only because he has been critical of this govt. All agencies are being blatantly used to target critics.”
CBI is raiding Harsh Mander’s house and office. He has been one of the most gentle, humane & generous activists who has worked tirelessly for the weak & poor.
He is being targeted only because he has been critical of this govt. All agencies are being blatantly used to target…— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) February 2, 2024
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
