The Central Bureau of Investigation is expected to question representatives of NGOs whose names have cropped up during its probe against a Home Ministry official Anand Joshi who was allegedly issuing notices of foreign remittances violations to voluntary groups in an arbitrary manner.
The agency said in a statement that a provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act "attaching bank accounts of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT)".
'However, to establish a quid pro quo, one can potentially see several things, like whether they got any benefits from the party that they gave money to. That is something that people (of India) will gauge. But to finally establish that there was money paid as consideration, it would require an investigation, a proper investigation, to be able to come up with such conclusions.'
The guidelines have been prepared in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that has envisioned that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.
EU special representative for human rights Eamon Gilmore said on Friday that in his meetings with the Indian government he has discussed issues such as the use of sedition and anti-terrorism laws, condition of minorities, communal violence and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Licences of around 20,000 of 33,000 NGOs have been cancelled by the government after they were found to be allegedly violating various provisions of the Foreign Contribution (regulation) Act, thus barring them from receiving foreign funds.
A special court on Tuesday granted bail to home ministry official Anand Joshi, who was arrested for allegedly issuing Foreign Contribution Regulation Act notices arbitrarily to several NGOs.
The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also recommended to the Congress to raise the issue of religious freedom during US-India bilateral meetings, and hold hearings on it.
'Mr Modi believes the world is like him. He thinks every one has a price or can be intimidated. He will never understand that those who fight for the truth have no price and cannot be intimidated,' Gandhi said in a tweet.
Religious freedom and related human rights in India are under ongoing threat, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom alleged on Tuesday in an unusual year-end update of the status of its assessment of religious freedom in the country.
Modi shared the warmth of Chief Minister M K Stalin who briefly held the PM's hand and patted the back of the latter's palm while walking through the displays exhibited at the new Chennai airport terminal.
Any NGO critical of the government is unlikely to receive a green signal. The new amendment will leave NGOs vulnerable to harassment. It was the NGO sector that helped provide compassion and food to millions of people during the lockdown. The new Bill will render such cooperation and camaraderie impossible in future, observes Rashme Sehgal.
Justice M S Sonak in an interim order on Monday restrained the Charity Commissioner from attaching the assets and accounts of the NGO. The HC also ordered defreezing of the domestic and non-FCRA bank accounts of the NGO.
'Laws have been used in a way to serve the needs of the current regime and its authoritarian ideology.'
The Union home ministry said it has cancelled registration of 11,319 organisations that had not applied for renewal of registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act by the June 30 deadline this year.
To the disappointment of the Forward Markets Commission, the commodity markets regulator, the standing committee of Parliament examining the Bill seeking to amend the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, has invited suggestions from the public and stakeholders, including consumer bodies.
'It is especially discouraging for young people in the development sector. I've noticed that many of them are actively considering other career options to escape this atmosphere.' Geetanjali Krishna reports.
The retrospective amendment will help BJP and Congress escape the fallout of a 2014 Delhi high court judgment that held both guilty of violating the FCRA.
Grover had said a summons was issued by the special court in Ghaziabad against Ayyub for January 27 and therefore the matter be listed urgently.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear the petition of journalist Rana Ayyub challenging the summons issued to her by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ghaziabad in a money laundering case lodged against her by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Dabangg star, who has been providing assistance to those in need amid the ongoing pandemic through his charitable trust, on Monday posted a statement on his social media handles.
In a circular, the ministry said all NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act should receive foreign donations in a single designated bank account.
Two non-government organisations run by social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband have been served notice by the home ministry for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and asked to reply within 15 days.
A US Congress-constituted quasi-judicial body on Wednesday asked the Joe Biden Administration to designate four nations, including India, as "countries of particular concern", alleging that religious freedom conditions there in 2020 continued their negative trajectory.
The searches are in connection with alleged violation of foreign direct investment norms that is linked to an earlier case of revocation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act licence of the NGO by the Union home ministry in 2010, the ED said.
It should stop what it is deliberately doing to the NGO sector and let it operate as freely as the rest of the private sector, asserts Aakar Patel.
The order said the NGO has transferred an amount of Rs 2.46 lakh from its foreign contribution designated account to Sabrang Trust domestic account, thus mixing of domestic and foreign funds and violating the rules.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the CBI and the Gujarat government as to why they want to send social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand back in jail after they have been out for over seven years on anticipatory bail.
The chargesheet also said they did not maintain exclusive books of account for receipt of foreign contribution and Sabrang could not produce segregated books of accounts for checking.
In a circular, the ministry said all NGOs which were registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act should receive donations from abroad in a single designated bank account.
The home ministry said exercising the powers conferred under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, the registration of Sabrang Trust has been suspended for a period of 180 days with effect from September 10, 2015.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a special court in Ghaziabad, which has summoned journalist Rana Ayyub in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to adjourn the proceedings scheduled for January 27 to a date after January 31.
The Delhi high court on Friday declined to stay the proceedings with regard to confirming the provisional attachment of bank accounts of NGO Amnesty International, but said that any final order passed in the matter would not be implemented without leave of the court.
'Amendments in the past have created fear. This will take it further.'
Licence of NGO run by Indira Jaising--'Lawyers' Collective'--was suspended by the government for 6 months.
Reversing the burden of evidence means that the principle of innocent until proven guilty does not apply. It is exactly the opposite: Guilty as charged, until you can convince the judges of the contrary, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann passed the order on a petition filed by the CBI seeking revision of the order passed on Thursday by a magisterial court which also asked the agency to apologise to Patel.
A case has been registered against Anand Joshi by the investigating agency in connection with Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, notices to non-governmental organisations.
Asked about the report, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "The political judgements of Freedom House are as inaccurate and distorted as their maps."
Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar allowed the probe agency to quiz Anand Joshi, who was arrested on Sunday from west Delhi, in its custody till May 20.
