Karnataka HC quashes Centre’s order cancelling FCRA registration of Centre for Wildlife Studies

In December that year, the trust sent a detailed reply in response to a show cause notice. In September 2023, an order was passed cancelling the FCRA registration.

Karanth’s counsel argued that the order cancelling the registration was done without reasons and the trust represented by Karanth should have been afforded a personal hearing. The opposing counsel argued that “reasonable opportunity of being heard” which was required under the law was met by issuing the show cause notice.

Looking into previous cases, the bench observed, ” Principles of natural justice, is trite cannot be stretched to unlimited extent. But, it is equally trite that when consequences thereof are grave, it should be complied with in its entirety even stretching in a little further. Therefore, the words depicted in the Act ‘reasonable opportunity of being heard’ cannot be restricted to issuance of a show cause notice…..Non-affording of personal hearing to the petitioner has rendered the order unsustainable and the unsustainability of it, would lead to its obliteration. Let there be no confusion that there can always be a fusion between hearing and personal hearing.”