'Receiving funds from suspicious sources': NCPCR tells SC on many NGOs including Harsh Mander's Centre for Equity Studies
In its reply affidavit filed in the court, the NCPCR highlighted the names of certain NGOs, including Harsh Mander’s Centre for Equity Studies (CES), where funds had allegedly been diverted or were received from suspicious sources.
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New Delhi, Nov 12: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has said that many children's shelter homes in the country are running illegally and receiving funds from certain suspicious foreign organizations. This came after NCPCR said in a reply to an affidavit filed on November 6, in a case on several petitions challenging the provisions of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA).
In its reply affidavit filed in the court, the NCPCR highlighted the names of certain NGOs, including Harsh Mander’s Centre for Equity Studies (CES), where funds had allegedly been diverted or were received from suspicious sources.
The NCPCR filed the reply affidavit in one case among a batch of petitions challenging the validity of section 7 of the FCRA Act, which prohibits the transfer of foreign funds. A Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Ravi Kumar had reserved this batch of petitions for orders on November 9, 2021.
The apex child body stated that the affidavit is being filed to document NCPCR’s efforts to prevent NGOs from misusing foreign funds. It goes on to say that there are NGOs that do not have FCRA registration but are sponsored by NGOs that do have FCRA registration to receive foreign donations.
Also Read: Harsh Mander’s CES gets privileged hearing due to meddling by Retd Delhi HC Chief Justice AP Shah
On the other hand, the Enforcement Directorate raided three locations linked to activist Harsh Mander. The raids are connected to a money laundering probe based on a FIR (First Information Repot) filed by the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police in February this year. Mander's home (in Vasant Kunj) and his office at the Centre for Equity Studies (in Adchini) were raided simultaneously, as were two children's homes run by his NGO.
This came after an inspection by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) revealed financial irregularities in shelter homes established by the NGO. A case of child sexual abuse was also alleged in one of the shelter homes.
In the reply, NCPCR said it discovered that Harsh Mander’s Centre for Equity Studies, which has FCRA registration and is eligible to receive foreign funding, provided funds to another NGO, Rainbow Foundation India, which does not have FCRA registration but operates CCIs in various cities across the country.