CBI Arrests 14 Including MHA Workers in FCRA Violation Probe

The CBI has arrested 14 people.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday, 11 May, arrested 14 people, including public servants of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), for facilitating alleged Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) violations.

On Tuesday, the CBI conducted a major countrywide operation at 40 locations across the country – including Delhi, Rajasthan, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, and Mysuru, among others, against officials of the MHA and several NGOs.

According to ANI, the CBI recovered Rs 3.21 crore in cash, incriminating documents, mobile phones, etc during the searches at the 40 locations.

MHA's FCRA department is part of the ministry's Foreigners Division. It grants permission to NGOs under the FCRA to receive funds from abroad. It can also cancel the registration in case they are found violating the law.

In April, the FCRA registration of the international NGO Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) was cancelled by the division for violating the provisions of the FCRA. The registration of some other NGOs engaged with Christian evangelism was also cancelled.

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"A detailed note on 3 FCRA-clearance networks which are reportedly operating and have linkages with government officials and are charging speed money or problem resolution money. It has been decided, with the approval of competent authority that CBI should investigate this matter and take action," a CBI official said, as per ANI, on Tuesday.

The official informed that when the alleged violation was brought to the notice of Home Minister Amit Shah, he immediately asked officials of the MHA to deal with this matter very strictly.

"Thereafter a complaint was made to CBI by MHA," the official added.

(With inputs from ANI.)