THE CENTRAL Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday searched the office and residential premises of social activist Harsh Mander in Delhi in connection with a case of alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) it lodged two days ago. “On January 31, the CBI registered a case against an NGO — Centre for Equity Studies (CES), Delhi — and Harsh Mander, chairperson-cum-secretary of the NGO, on allegations of violations of FCRA provisions after the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the agency to initiate an inquiry,” an official said. The MHA had suspended the FCRA certification of the CES on December 11 last year for six months. When contacted, Mander told The Indian Express, “I was questioned by the CBI last year during their preliminary enquiry and they have served several notices to me, asking me to provide several documents to them.” On the searches, Mander said he was further strengthened in his resolve. “My life, my writings and my work are my only response.” In the FIR, complainant Inspector Vishal has said the preliminary enquiry was registered on April 13 last year on a written complaint dated March 21 received from Director (MHA) Jeetendar Chadha against associations; Aman Biradari Trust, Delhi; CES, Delhi; Oxfam India, Delhi and Action Aid Association, Delhi regarding violation of the FCRA. “Enquiry has revealed that the CES was established in 2001 and registered as Trust with sub-registrar, Delhi for charitable purposes. The CES got FCRA registration in 2010 and enquiry has revealed that it had transferred Rs 32.71 lakh other than salary/wages/remuneration from its FCRA account in the account of individual(s) during 2020-21 in violation of the provisions of FCRA, 2010,” the FIR said. “Enquiry has also revealed that CES had diverted an amount of around Rs 10 lakh from its FCRA account through the firm(s) in violation of the provisions of FCRA, 2010,” it said. Following the searches, Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan, in a post on X, said, “CBI is raiding Harsh Mander’s house and office. He has been one of the most gentle, humane & generous activists who has worked tirelessly for the weak & poor. He is being targeted only because he has been critical of this govt. All agencies are being blatantly used to target critics.” Kavita Srivastava of the Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said, “We unequivocally condemn the continued victimisation and intimidation of Dr Harsh Mander. We are deeply disturbed by the raid at the residence of Dr Harsh Mander and ongoing raid on the Centre for Equity Studies. Mander is a widely respected and internationally acclaimed human rights activist who has taken up issues of those most oppressed.” In 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted searches at offices and residential premises associated with Mander in connection with a case of alleged money laundering. The ED’s case is based on another case registered by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against the CES. The Delhi Police had registered two cases against the CES — one under the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and another over alleged financial irregularities — following a raid conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in 2020 at two children’s homes run by the NGO. The NCPCR had alleged various irregularities, including financial, in the running of the two homes at the time.
