Several lawmakers on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, protesting the raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising and her husband Anand Grover, accused in a Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violation case.
We, the undersigned individuals strongly condemn the raids at the homes and offices of senior advocates Indira Jaising and Anand Grover this morning by the CBI. The raids are being carried out in both Delhi and Mumbai. This, latest in a long line of coercion and intimidation of Ms Jaising and Mr Grover, it is nothing short of a brute show of intimidation as well as gross abuse of power,” the letter read according to a report in NDTV.
“This is especially so since both advocates, well known for their pioneering work in the field of human rights and numerous their NGO, ‘Lawyers Collective’ have fully cooperated with the authorities ever since criminal charges were filed against them in alleged FCRA violation cases,” the letter further read.
Terming the raids as “shocking”, the members of the Parliament urged the government to “halt such act of coercion and intimidation”.
The CBI on Thursday carried out raids at the residence and offices of Indira Jaising and Anand Grover in Delhi and Mumbai in connection with a Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violation case.
The investigating agency has accused the couple of misusing foreign contributions and spending the funds outside India.
The CBI had earlier in June registered a criminal case against a Delhi-based NGO, Lawyers Collective, for alleged violations of the FCRA rules.
The FIR named Anand Grover, a trustee and director of the organisation and also the husband of apex court lawyer Indira Jaising, as an accused.
Sections of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 have also been included in the FIR by the central agency after receiving a complaint against the Collective from the Union Home Ministry.
The case involves contributions to their NGO when Indira Jaising was Additional Solicitor General between 2009 and 2014, the CBI alleged according to a report in NDTV. Their foreign trips were allegedly funded by the NGO without the approval of the Home ministry.
The Supreme Court had in May issued notices to advocates Indira Jaising and Anand Grover, and their NGO Lawyers’ Collective, while hearing a petition filed by petitioner Lawyer’s Voice seeking the status of investigations into the alleged case of FCRA violation by the NGO.