Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Plea By Harsh Mander, Centre For Equity Studies To Quash CBI FIR Over 'FCRA Violations'

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice on a plea moved by activist Harsh Mander and his NGO, Centre for Equity Studies, seeking quashing of an FIR registered against them by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

Justice Vikas Mahajan directed the probe agency to file a status report and listed the matter for hearing on August 29.

Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishna and Advocate Sarim Naved appeared for the petitioners. SPP Anupam S. Sharrma appeared for CBI.

Sharma told court that no coercive action will be taken against Mander and the NGO till the next date of hearing. While making the oral submission, Sharma requested the court not to take the same on record.

Mander and his NGO have sought quashing of the FIR on the ground that a six month long preliminary enquiry reveals no cognizable offence having been committed.

Their plea states that FIR is vague and seems to have been filed without any application of mind to the ingredients of the penal provisions cited therein.

The FIR alleges that the NGO had transferred Rs. 32,71,915 other than salary or wages or remuneration from its FCRA account in the account of individual(s) during 2020-21, in violation of the FCRA.

The plea argues that the amount in question has not been specified to be transferred to any specific individual and the illegality has not been pointed out. It has been claimed that the FCRA funds were utilized for urgent COVID relief work.

“This FIR is clearly intended to harass and humiliate the Petitioners and without any legal standard and thus deserve to be quashed,” the petition states.

Title: Centre for equity Studies & Anr. v. Central Bureau of Investigation