New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against Oxfam India and its office-bearers for alleged violations of provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
Oxfam India’s FCRA licence was cancelled in December 2021. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had recommended a CBI probe into alleged violations by the non-profit organisation including transfer of foreign contributions to various entities including other NGOs even after amendments made to the Act in 2020 prohibited such transfers.
The CBI registered the FIR Monday, after a complaint was received from a home ministry official earlier this month. ThePrint has seen the FIR.
On 6 April, after the MHA ordered the probe, Oxfam India had issued a statement that it is “fully compliant with Indian laws and has filed all its statutory compliances, including FCRA returns, in a timely manner since its inception”.
FCRA licences of around 6,000 organisations including Oxfam India Trust ceased to exist from 1 January last year after alleged violations were observed in their functionings. Oxfam India’s request for renewal for the FCRA licence, along with those of some 179 other organisations, was rejected.
What the FIR says
The FIR claims that during a survey conducted by the income tax department at its office in September last year, it was found that Oxfam India was “planning to pressurise” the Indian government — through foreign governments and institutions — for renewal of its FCRA licence.
It adds: “Though Oxfam India’s FCRA registration has ceased, it planned to circumvent FCRA by routing funds through other routes. From the email found during the IT survey by the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) it appears that Oxfam India is providing funds to the Centre for Policy Research through its associates/employees in the form of commission.”
The FIR further states that Oxfam India continued to “pay sub grants to various partners” even after the FCRA’s 2020 amendment, which prohibited such transfers under Section 7.
“It appears that Oxfam India used to route funds of its foreign affiliates such as Oxfam Australia, Oxfam Great Britain etc. in India to selected NGOs and at the same time exercising control over funds and projects. From emails found during an IT survey by the CBDT, it appears that Oxfam India was planning to route funds to other FCRA registered associations or through the for-profit consultancy route,” it also claims.
Moreover, it mentions that Oxfam India allegedly received foreign contributions of Rs 1.50 crore directly in its account, instead of receiving it under the FCRA designated account between 2013 and 2016.
Last September, the IT department had carried out surveys at 100 locations in the country including in the offices of CPR, Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF), Oxfam and at properties of businessmen and other individuals.
After the survey, Oxfam India had released a statement that said it was “compliant with Indian laws and has filed all its statutory compliances, including income tax and FCRA returns, in a timely manner since its inception”.
According to its website, Oxfam India is a “movement of people working to end discrimination and create a free and just society”. It further mentions that the non-profit is a member of the global confederation of 21 Oxfams across the world. It was registered by the government as a “non-profit organisation under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013”.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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