The Centre on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had so far not responded to its queries on receipt of foreign donations allegedly in violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
The government sought information on the alleged foreign funding from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders of the outfit on an advocate’s petition.
The petitioner has urged the court to direct to lodge an FIR and conduct day-to-day trial under the court’s supervision.
ADVERTISEMENT
The accounts and the money received by the party should be seized, the petition said.
The lawyer further submitted that the FCRA prohibited receipt of donations from foreign countries by a political party.
Additional Solicitor-General Rajeev Mehra submitted before a Bench of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Jayant Nath that the Union Home Ministry had sought bank accounts’ details from the APP leaders cited as respondents in the petition but they did not respond.
ADVERTISEMENT
Besides Mr. Kejriwal, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia, senior party leader Shanti Bhushan and his son and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan are the other respondents in the petition.
The matter will be heard on February 5.
The court has asked the government to look afresh into the matter.
The Centre in December 2012 informed the court that it had found “not serious enough irregularities during the inspection of accounts of non-government organisations run by Team Anna member and former Delhi Police officer Kiran Bedi and Mr. Sisodia to warrant a criminal investigation.”
It had also ruled out the use of foreign contributions received by these organisations for the India Against Corruption movement.
It had submitted an affidavit after a thorough inquiry into the allegations levelled by the advocate petitioner that Ms. Bedi and Mr. Sisodia violated the FCRA by receiving funds from foreign entities.