The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday carried out searches at the offices of Amnesty International India Private Limited and Indians for Amnesty International Trust in Bengaluru and New Delhi.
The search was reportedly based on an alleged violation of rules and norms related to foreign funding on NGOs in India. Media reports speculated that recently the Ministry of Home Affairs had sent a list of NGOs which had allegedly violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) regulations to the CBI, and Amnesty was part of the list.
Reports also suggested that the CBI would file a separate case against Amnesty.
Reacting to the searches by the CBI, Amnesty said, “The Central Bureau of Investigation today conducted searches at the offices of Amnesty International India Private Limited and Indians for Amnesty International Trust in Bengaluru and New Delhi. Over the past year, a pattern of harassment has emerged every time Amnesty International India stands up and speaks out against human rights violations in India.”
Claiming that the organisation is compliant with all norms, the statement said, “Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with Indian and international law. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance, and dissent.”
It added, “As part of the Nobel Prize-winning movement, Amnesty International India holds itself to the highest evidentiary standards. Over four million Indians have supported Amnesty International India’s work in the last six years and around 100,000 Indians have made financial contributions. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold universal human rights and build a global movement of people who take injustice personally.“
In October 2018, the Enforcement Directorate had carried out similar searches at Amnesty's office in Bengaluru. At that time too, it was reported that ED conducted the search due to an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
In 2016, the Bengaluru police registered a sedition case on Amnesty India based on a complaint filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for organising a programme which sought to project the human suffering of the Kashmir conflict. The police charged Amnesty India under section 124A of the IPC (Sedition—Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law). Cases were also filed on the representatives of Amnesty under sections 142,143, 147, 149 (unlawful assembly and rioting) and Section 153a (promoting enmity between groups).