The Supreme Court on Thursday, 14 November, refused to stay the Bombay HC order restraining the CBI from taking coercive steps against senior lawyers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violation case.
An SC bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, issued notice to the the duo and their NGO 'Lawyers Collective' on a PIL seeking expeditious investigation into the alleged corruption, ANI reported.
The CBI had filed an FIR on 13 June against Grover who is the president of Lawyers Collective, a voluntary group known for raising human rights issues in courts of India, on the basis of a complaint by the Home Ministry that foreign aid received by the group was used in violation of norms.
The CBI has alleged that during the year 2006 to 2014, Jaising and Grover entered into a conspiracy with an intent to cheat Government of India in the matter of misusing and diverting foreign contribution received by the Mumbai-based NGO.
It further alleged that foreign contribution to the tune of Rs 32.39 crore was received in the account of the NGO and the accused misutilised a sizeable amount of the foreign contributions received in Lawyers Collective’s account, thereby violating the provisions of FERA 2010.
On 11 July the CBI searched residences and offices of human rights lawyers in a case of alleged violation of rules in receiving and utilising foreign aid, attracting sharp reactions from politicians and activists.
“Mr Grover and I are being targeted for the human rights work that we have done over the years,” Jaising had told reporters after the raids.
(With inputs from ANI)
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