CBI names 12 NGO representatives in illegal issuance of FCRA licence case, 14 arrested

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named representatives of at least 12 nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and institutions, including Omidyar Network that is supported by billionaire philanthropist and e-Bay founder Pierre Omidyar, over an alleged case of bribe-for-approval. The case also names six officials of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) division of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), one National Informatics Centre (NIC) official, two hawala operators, and several middlemen.

The action came after the central agency raided 40 locations on Tuesday in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Manipur after receiving a communication from Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla.

Bhalla reported suspicion of at least three FCRA clearance networks that were purportedly operating in connivance with government servants.

Following Tuesday’s raids, 14 people, including six government servants, were arrested and ₹3.21 crore was retrieved.

The government staffers were identified as current FCRA division personnel Tushar Kanti Roy, Raj Kumar and Saheed Khan and former officials in the division, Parmod Kumar Bhasin, Alok Ranjan and Ghazanfar Ali. An NIC official — Uma Shankar, who allegedly assisted the accused persons, is also named in the CBI FIR but was yet to be arrested, the agency said.

In all, the agency has named 36 individuals and entities along with “unknown persons” for being part of what it said was a well-oiled network to provide FCRA clearances illegally.