New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Environics Trust, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), and its top officials for allegedly using foreign funds to finance agitations in Odisha against the state government’s plan to install a steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district.
In its FIR filed Tuesday, a copy of which has been accessed by ThePrint, the CBI has said that an inspector-level officer probed the operations of the NGO after registering a preliminary enquiry (PE) last year and found that the NGO had transferred Rs 1,250 each to 711 people in November 2020. This money was eventually allegedly paid to people to protest at Dhinkia village in Jagatsinghpur district. of Odisha, where the JSW group had proposed setting up a steel plant.
The investigating agency has thus accused the NGO and its managing director Ramamurthi Sreedhar and director of finance Vanitha Sreedhar of violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, by diverting funds received for activities not permitted under the law. Ramamurthi Sreedhar, however, died on 29 December.
According to the company’s website, Environics Trust is a non-profit research and community development organisation that conducts participatory research on environmental and human behaviour issues.
A valid FCRA licence is essential for any non-profit organisation to receive foreign contributions. Once granted, it’s valid for five years and has to be subsequently renewed.
According to the FIR, the agency had registered a preliminary enquiry (registered before an FIR) against the NGO after a director-level officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submitted a written complaint to the agency last year, alleging violation of the provisions of the FCRA.
“Enquiry has further revealed that Environics Trust (ET) had transferred Rs 1,250 into various bank accounts of 711 people on 15 November, 2020 for distribution of Package of Relief for Amphan Cyclone affected in Odisha. But the same was actually paid to the protesters for JSW agitation at site Dhinkia, Odisha,” the CBI inspector who conducted the probe has been quoted as saying in the FIR.
The officer further alleged, “Therefore, ET [Environics Trust] has funded the agitators and been involved in the various activities creating law and order issues in the country. These activities were not as per the object of trust, and the same is contrary to the provisions of FCRA Act 2010.”
ThePrint has reached Environics Trust on email for comment. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Also Read: Give CBI wider power to probe crucial cases without ‘state’s consent & interference’ — House panel
‘Financial relationship with tribal activist’
The agency in its FIR noted that the MHA registered its complaint in April 2023, following which a PE was registered in June last year. The officer in charge of conducting enquiry, submitted a report on 28 December last year, based on which an FIR has now been filed.
The CBI inspector in the FIR also alleged that Environics Trust had a financial relationship with a tribal activist Deme Oram, who has been booked by Odisha Police for rioting and unlawful assembly.
The probe agency has alleged that it found a transfer of Rs 30,000 to the bank account of Oram from the FCRA account of Environics Trust after analysis of the bank accounts.
According to media reports, South Korean steel company POSCO was to set up a plant at the same site after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government, but pulled out of the project in 2017 after years of protests against the project.
After POSCO’s departure, the Odisha government reportedly transferred the land to JSW’s subsidiary JSW Utkal Steel Limited (JUSL). Earlier last week, JSW Steel reportedly said in an exchange filing that it acquired 2,677.80 acres of forest land in Jagatsinghpur for the steel plant.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
Also Read: CBI chargesheets 5 in ‘suspected killings’ of Meitei teens that triggered protests in Manipur