The Central Bureau of Investigation has accused environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta of targeting the activities of the Adani Group in Australia and said his actions were “impacting economic interests of the nation outside geographical boundaries of India”, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday.
In a 40-page first information report, the agency also claimed that Dutta was “agitating local farmers” he represented in a public interest litigation against the Gujarat government and the Adani Group.
Dutta and his non-governmental organisation Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment, or LIFE, were booked on April 19 by the CBI for allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
The law regulates funds from outside India and aims to prevent foreign entities from having undue influence on the working of governmental or non-governmental organisations in the country.
The case against Dutta was registered after the Union Home Ministry alleged that LIFE was receiving funds from American non-profits, Earth Justice and Sandler Foundation, to litigate against Indian coal projects with the intention of “targeting and stalling” them.
According to the CBI, Dutta allegedly received Rs 41 lakh in foreign contributions in the financial year 2013-’14 from Earth Justices after which he established LIFE. The NGO then received Rs 22 crore from Earth Justice as a professional fee, even though it did not provide legal advice to American non-profit, the FIR alleged.
The CBI also alleged that an analysis of Dutta’s email showed that he, in association with Earth Justice, was “discussing strategies to put pressure on Indian or state governments or project proponents”, reported The Wire.
The agency added that the emails revealed that they were discussing projects of “Indian entities in foreign jurisdictions which can be challenged there”. It then specifically mentioned the activities of the Adani Group in Australia.
“It appears from this that they were planning to target Indian entities undertaking projects outside India. Such litigations lead to delays in projects impacting public interest by denying energy security to citizens of the nation,” the FIR said.
On Wednesday, Dutta told The Indian Express that his NGO is fully cooperating with the investigating agencies.
“LIFE as a matter of policy has never been a litigant in any case,” he said. “We are also clarifying the other inaccuracies in the FIR...”
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