CBI Thursday searched residences and offices of human rights lawyers Indira Jaising and her husband Anand Grover, and Lawyers Collective in a case of alleged violation of rules in receiving and utilising foreign aid, attracting sharp reactions from politicians and activists.
The CBI had filed an FIR on June 13 against Grover who isthe president of Lawyers Collective, a voluntary group known for raising humanrights issues in courts of India, on the basis of a complaint by the HomeMinistry that foreign aid received by the group was used in violation of norms.
“Mr Grover and I are being targeted for the humanrights work that we have done over the years,” Jaising told reporters.
The agency started its search operation at five locations inDelhi and Mumbai early morning.
At around 5 am, CBI teams reached Jaising’s two houses inNizamuddin, two offices of Lawyers Collective and a residence of Grover inMumbai to carry out searches.
“It was alleged in the complaint that during the year2006 to 2014, the accused persons entered into a conspiracy in Mumbai, Delhiand other places with an intent to cheat Government of India in the matter ofmisusing and diverting foreign contribution received by the Mumbai-based NGO(Lawyers Collective),” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
He said foreign contribution to the tune of Rs 32.39 crorewas received in the account of the NGO and the accused misutilised a sizableamount of the foreign contributions received in Lawyers Collective’s account,thereby violating the provisions of FERA 2010.
The CBI action on Thursday also evoked sharp reactions frompoliticians, activists and lawyers.
“While the law must take its course, brazen targetingof well known and respected senior advocates by the government via its agenciesraises serious questions about its intentions,” CPI(M) general secretarySitaram Yechury said in a tweet.
A statement from opposition MPs termed the action as the”latest in a long line of coercion and intimidation” of Jaising andGrover which was “nothing short of a brute show of intimidation as well asgross abuse of power”.
The letter was signed by MPs from the Congress, TMC, SP, CPIand CPI(M).
It further said that the two who were well known for their”pioneering work” in the field of human rights had fully cooperatedwith authorities.
Noted Supreme Court lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan alsocriticised the searches, terming them an act of vendetta. “CBI raids at residence of Indira Jaisingand Anand Grover in case of alleged misuse of foreign funding to their NGO is aclear act of vendetta. Registration of cases and raids by government agencieshas now become the way of government to harass and intimidate opponents,”he tweeted.