The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday registered a case against a Varanasi-based non-government organisation for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The organisation had received ₹8.38 crore funds from overseas between 2006 and 2012.
Not registered under Act
The action has been taken on the basis of a reference from the Union Home Ministry. The FIR mentions that the Ministry’s FCRA wing conducted an inspection of the NGO’s records and found that it was not registered under the Act. Therefore, the organisation did not have the mandatory approval for receiving contributions from abroad.
No govt. approval
However, an examination of Heritage Foundation’s account books revealed that it received foreign contributions of ₹8.38 crore in 2006-12, without any prior permission from the government. The NGO had received ₹5.16 crore from overseas entities, even after the government in August 2008 directed it not to accept foreign contribution without permission.
Based on the findings, the Ministry recommended investigation into the dealings of the NGO. The agency has prima facie found that there was an alleged violation of Sections 34 and 35 of the FCRA, and accordingly a case has been registered.
The CBI’s Lucknow wing is soon expected to visit the NGO premises and question those running the organisation. The Ministry has also handed over to the agency its own findings.
