Suspension of FCRA certificates: Delhi HC seeks Centre’s reply on CHRI plea

THE DELHI High Court on Monday directed the Centre to reply to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative’s (CHRI) plea looking for permission for utilisation of 25 per cent of its international contribution and permission to obtain donations from overseas.
Last month, the Centre suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) certificates of the civil society organisation.
“You cannot ask these people to suffer in Covid times. We cannot have these people waiting without their salaries,” Justice Rekha Palli stated, whereas itemizing the case for listening to on July 17.

The court docket handed the order after listening to a petition filed by the CHRI in opposition to suspension of the FCRA certificates for 180 days, and the appliance looking for interim reduction.
In its suspension order of June 7, the Ministry of Home Affairs had said that details about opening of a checking account in February 2016 was not intimated by CHRI to the authorities. It additionally accused CHRI of different violations of FCRA. “Further, one utilisation account through which the Association has been utilising foreign contribution has not been intimated in ARs for FY 2016-17 and 2017-18,” the ministry order said.