By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, May 12:
In a massive crackdown against officials and NGOs involved in an alleged bribery scandal involving the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), the CBI registered the First Information Report (FIR) against 36 people and arrested 14 people, including Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials and a National Informatics Centre (NIC) official on Wednesday.
Those arrested included the Chartered Accountants, and representatives of the NGOs. The CBI also recovered Rs 3.21 crore in cash along with several incriminating documents during the raids. The accused have been sent to police custody till May 14 by the Special Judge (new Delhi) Naresh Kumar Laka.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed the FIR (No RC0032022A0026 7, 7A, and 8) under sections 120B, 419,420,468,471 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 7, 7A, and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against 36 persons, including seven Government officers attached to the FCRA division of MHA, for felicitating the inflow of foreign funds to the NGOs illegally.
The charges of Criminal Conspiracy, Demand of Undue Advantage by Public Servant, Taking Undue Advantage to influence Public Servant by Corrupt or illegal means or by the exercise of personal influence, Undue Advantage to Another Person with intention, impersonation, cheating, forgery for cheating and using forged document as genuine, have been levelled against the accused.
The FCRA department is part of the foreigners’ division of the MHA which grants permission to NGOs to receive foreign funds under the FCRA. The division is responsible for renewing and cancelling the license based on the reports they receive.
There are over 16,800 registered NGOs under FCRA and nearly 20,000 NGOs have lost their FCRA license in the last 10 years. Of these over 12,500 did not file returns for renewal on time. Some of the NGOs are accused of receiving funds and using them for anti-India activities.
On Tuesday CBI conducted raids at 40 locations in various cities, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mysuru (Karnataka), and other places, for committing violations of FCRA provisions and allotting licenses in exchange for bribes.
Those named in the FIR include Parmod Kumar Bhasin (MHA, New Delhi (earlier posted at FCRA division, Gurgaon, Haryana), Alok Ranjan, (MHA, New Delhi( earlier posted at FCRA division, New Delhi), Raj Kumar( FCRA division, East Delhi), Mohammed Saheed Khan (Assistant Director, FCRA, Delhi) Mohammed Ghazanfar ( MHA, New Delhi( earlier posted in FCRA Division) Uma Shankar (NIC) and Tushar Kanti Roy (FCRA division).
S. Rajasekaran (M/s Ganga Medical Centre and Hospital Pvt. Ltd, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Vageesh, Chartered Accountant, working in Ganga Medical Centre & Hospital Pvt. Ltd. on behalf of Ganga Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation, Coimbatore, Ms. Suguna Ravichandran, Auditor of GOREF, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and Pawan Kumar Sharma (operating business from Chandni Chowk, Delhi).
Ramanand Pareek (Hawala operator, Chennai), Robin Devadass ( running an NGO- The Social Project, Vellore, Tamil Nadu), Gajanand Sharma, Swapan Manna ( a representative of Srijan Foundation, Ranchi, Jharkhand), Hawala operator Vimal Tawaniya, Ranchi, Anish Selvaraj, Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu and Chinappan Pichai Pillai (Ayries Multipurpose Social Service Society, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu).
Ramaswamy Ranganathan (Centre for Tribal & Rural Development Trust, the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu), Shafi Mohammad (Jahangirabad Educational Trust, Okhla, New Delhi), K Ponpandi Inbarasu (Chartered Accountant), Ravi Shankar Ambastha (Rohini, Delhi), Manoj Kumar B A(Secunderabad, Telangana), M/s Mansi International Private Limited (Pratap Nagar, New Delhi, Ms. Manisha Verma ( Employee of Alok Ranjan), Alfred Mohanty (Christian Life Centre Ministries, Vishakhapatnam).
Katherina Suresh Kumar (a representative of NGO Harvest India, Seetharampuram, Vijaywada), Lungawiruol Khawbung (General Secretary of the Organisation Reformed Presbyterian Church North East India, Chorachandpur, Manipur), Santosh Kumar Prasad (Director of M/s Shaurya Business Solutions Private Limited, New Delhi), Smt. Amita Chandra ( Director of M/s Shaurya Business Solutions Private Limited, New Delhi, Tenzin Lhakpa(Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh), Bishnu Mour (President, Nayi Roshni Foundation, Guwahati, Assam), Jagdish, Devesh Chandra Mishra (Hauz Khas, Delhi), and promoters of NGO Omidyar Network,(Kenya, India, USA).
Omidyar Network is accused of funding a dubious organization to effectuate regime change and install pliant governments in countries across the world that align with the left-liberal ideology or reinforce the primacy of the Left’s narrative. Omidyar is known for funding many publications across India.
