Amnesty denies ED charge of violating FEMA
New Delhi: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International India on Tuesday denied charges of violating the foreign exchange law after it was recently served with a show cause notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
"Amnesty International India acknowledges that Amnesty International India Private Limited has received a show cause notice from the Enforcement Directorate."
"We deny the charges. We have faith in the Constitution and the judicial processes and cannot share further details before answering the notice," a spokesperson for the global body said.
The ED had issued a show-cause notice to Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd on July 25 for alleged contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to the tune of over Rs 51 crore.
Official sources had last week said that the notice was issued after completion of probe.
The alleged FEMA contravention is related to the borrowing and lending regulations to the tune of Rs 51.72 crore for rendering civil society activities in the country by getting remittances from its parent body, Amnesty International UK, in the garb of export of services, sources said.
The show cause notice was issued by the Adjudicating Authority of the FEMA, which is a special director rank officer of the ED.
The federal probe agency, in October last year, had conducted searches at the offices of the NGO in Bengaluru on charges of alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The ED had then said that after Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) was denied the permission/registration under FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) by the MHA (ministry of home affairs) they "resorted to bypass the FCRA" by floating commercial entity in the name of Amnesty lnternational India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL).
"This entity has received foreign funds through commercial route to the extent of Rs 36 crore till date," the ED had said in a statement. Out of the total amount of Rs 36 crore, it said, Rs 10 crore was received as long term loans.
"This amount was immediately placed in FDs (fixed deposits) and another Indian entity-- Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) had established an over draft facility for Rs 14.25 crore keeping the said 10 crore FD as collateral which means the receipt of FDI by trust only.
"The remaining Rs 26 crore was received in two other bank accounts of AIIPL as consultancy services. The inwards remittances received by the AIIPL from overseas is in violation of FDI guidelines," it had said.
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Meghalaya 34-year-old woman found dead in Bengaluru room; police suspect suicide
Bengaluru: A 34-year-old woman from Meghalaya was found dead in her rented accommodation in north Bengaluru on Thursday evening. Police suspect it to be a case of suicide, though the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
The deceased has been identified as Kong Agatha Ba Ithianghun Khongwet, a native of Tangmang village in Meghalaya. She has been residing with her partner, a Manipur man identified as Nawaz Sharif, for the past three years at Sanjeevini Nagar in Hebbal under the jurisdiction of the Kodigehalli police station.
Police said she was found dead between 7 pm and 7.30 pm. “We are awaiting the autopsy report for further procedure. An investigation is ongoing,” a police officer said.
According to police, the couple frequently argued, allegedly over trust issues and suspicions regarding Sharif’s phone conversations. On the day of the incident, the couple is said to have had an argument after Khongwet suspected him of speaking to another woman while he was on a call with his mother. Following the altercation, Sharif reportedly left the house. The police suspect that Khongwet died by suicide during this time.
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Bengaluru unit, expressed condolences and said the circumstances remain unclear. In a statement, the union said that while the case is being treated as a suspected suicide, other possibilities cannot be ruled out. Members of the organisation visited the spot and extended support to her friends, urging a fair investigation.
A case of Unnatural Death Report (UDR) has been registered at Kodigehalli police station. “We are questioning Nawaz Sharif. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of death, and we are awaiting the post-mortem report,” the police said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
