Guwahati: A FIR has been filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) a well-known environmental lawyer Ritwik Dutta.
The Union Home Ministry filed a complaint alleging that Dutta’s organization, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) had received funding from Earth Justice (EJ), a US-based NGO in order to bring legal action against Indian coal projects with the goal of “targeting and stalling” them, a practise that was “in violation of FCRA.” In response, the FIR was filed.
The complaint also claimed that Mr. Dutta had founded LIFE Proprietorship which had earned Rs 22 crores in professional revenues from EJ during FY 2016–21 after receiving Rs 41 lakh in foreign donations from EJ in FY 2013–14.
The complaint further claimed that EJ and the Sandler Foundation had suggested funding legal action aimed at “taking down” coal plants in India, which would have violated the FCRA and been detrimental to India’s economic security.
The Right Livelihood Award commonly known as the Alternative Nobel Prize was given to Dutta in recognition of his efforts to use the law in India to protect the environment.
However, his reputation has been tarnished by the CBI’s FIR. The investigation is still ongoing and Mr. Dutta and his organization’s alleged wrongdoing will be carefully looked at.