FCRA licence cancelled, South Asia Foundation moves Delhi HC seeking release of money from its account

As described on its website, SAF was founded by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh in 2000. It describes itself as a “secular, non-profit and non-political organization, comprising eight autonomous chapters”, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Earlier, SAF’s India chapter had moved the Delhi High Court with a writ petition challenging a March 8, 2024, order by which its renewal application under FCRA was rejected by the home ministry. The petition, however, was disposed of by the court after it was pointed out that SAF has an alternate remedy available under Section 32 of the FCRA, where the central government has revisional powers over an order passed by it under the FCRA, either of its own motion or on an application for revision by the person registered under this Act, by calling for and examining the record of any proceeding under the FCRA, or making an inquiry and pass an order accordingly.

SAF India has now filed a fresh petition through its director of administration Nihar Ranjan Das seeking limited relief for the release of the money that was in its account prior to the home ministry’s March order. The non-profit is seeking release of the amount remitted to its FCRA account which were foreign contributions received at the time when the FCRA licence was valid.

As per SAF India’s FCRA disclosures on its website, it received over Rs 2.20 crore in donations between January 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, from the Madanjeet Singh Foundation with its address in Liechtenstein for “educational and social” purposes. The foundation has been donating since 2017, according to the disclosure.