CBI raids 40 locations in crackdown on NGOs over alleged FCRA violations

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted a nationwide raid at about 40 locations in connection with alleged Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 (FCRA) violation by NGOs.

The operation was launched after a complaint from the Union Home Ministry to the CBI in this regard, a home ministry spokesperson said.

The central agency also apprehended around 14 people including Home Ministry officials, NGO representatives and middlemen for allegedly facilitating the clearance of foreign donations in violation of FCRA, the CBI officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said that when the issue of alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) was brought to the notice of Home Minister Amit Shah, he directed that the strongest possible action should be taken against those involved.

The MHA then lodged the complaint with the CBI, they said. The arrest formalities are going on against some of the apprehended officials and others, they said.

During its operation, the CBI found several officials were allegedly involved in exchanging bribes for facilitating clearances of foreign donations to NGOs in alleged violation of FCRA rules, agency officials said.

The coordinated operation was going on at around 40 locations including in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mysore and some places in Rajasthan, they said. The operation has so far led to a disclosure of hawala transactions of around Rs 2 crore, they said.