New Delhi: The Home Ministry on Thursday cancelled registration of activist Teesta Setalvad's NGO. The government argued that the foreign funds received by the NGO under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence had not been used for the purposes meant.
In an order issued, the ministry said various irregularities were found in Sabrang Trust, where Teesta and her spouse Javed Anand work as chief functionary or trustee, and after careful examination of the NGO's response, its registration was cancelled.
"In exercise of powers conferred by clauses (b), (c) and (d) of sub-section (1) of Section 14 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, the central government hereby cancels the permanent registration of Sabrang Trust with immediate effect," the order said.
According to the ministry, Teesta and Anand are also working as directors, co-editors, printers and publisher in the company namely Sabrang Communications & Publishing Pvt Limited (SCPPL) and published a magazine called Communalism Combat.
Sabrang Trust has spent an amount of Rs 50 lakh for SCPPL clearly violating the mandate of the FCRA. By this action, the NGO has not only unauthorisedly utilised the foreign contribution for the purposes of an unregistered entity but also that entity being a self-owned media and publication company, utilised that amount for activities totally prohibited by FCRA, it said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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