New Delhi: Diverted approximately Rs 43 lakh from its Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) account, including a transfer of Rs 32.71 lakh in a bank account during the financial year 2020-21 that were not for payment of salaries — these have formed the basis of an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the think tank Centre for Equity Studies (CES) and its chairperson former IAS officer and social activist Harsh Mander.
The case was registered Wednesday after the CBI conducted a preliminary enquiry (PE) based on a complaint by a director-level officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in March last year. The complaint named four associations, including CES and Aman Biradari Trust, an NGO founded by Mander, of misconduct under the FCRA. The other two associations named in the complaint were NGOs Oxfam India and the Action Aid Association.
ThePrint Friday reported that teams of CBI conducted searches at the residence and office address of Mander.
Later Friday, Mander also released a statement on raids and said he would respond only by his writings and works. “My life, my writings and my work are my only response,” read the statement.
Meanwhile, the CBI filed a PE in April last year. After conducting an enquiry into the allegations, an inspector-level CBI officer filed a report to the agency, which formed the basis of the FIR.
The FIR, a copy of which is with ThePrint, was filed by CBI’s Economic Offences Division under sections 7 (prohibition to transfer foreign contribution to other person), 8 (restriction to utilise foreign contribution for administrative purpose), 12 (4) (a) (vi) that deals with the condition that only those who are “not likely to use the foreign contribution for personal gains or divert it for undesirable purposes” are eligible for an FCRA licence, and 39 (dealing with punishment in offences by companies) of the FCRA, 2010.
“Enquiry has further revealed that Centre for Equity Studies had transferred Rs 32,71,915/- other than salary/wages/remuneration, from its FCRA account in the account of the individual(s) during 2020-21 in violation of the provisions of FCRA, 2010,” the FIR stated
“Enquiry has also revealed that Centre for Equity Studies had diverted an amount of Rs 10/- Lakh (approx.) from its FCRA account through the firm(s) in violation of the provisions of FCRA, 2010.”
“Thus, the enquiry has prima facie revealed that Centre for Equity Studies through its Chairperson Sh, Harsh Mander diverted the funds from FCRA account in violation of FCRA, 2010,” the FIR concluded.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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