CBI registers case against Teesta Setalvad for FCRA violation case

NEW DELHI: CBI has registered a case against social activist Teesta Setalvad and her organisation for alleged violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act by receiving funds from abroad without permission from the home ministry.

In an FIR registered on Wednesday evening, the agency named Setalvad's husband Javed Anand and Gulam Mohammed Peshimam, directors in Sabrang Communications and Publishing based in Santacruz, Mumbai. The case has been registered under IPC section related to criminal conspiracy (120-B) along with provisions of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976, sources said.

Setalvad, who was at the forefront of campaign for 2002 Gujarat riots victims, said "we are only responding to media reports. We have got nothing from CBI. While we maintain that no rules were violated, we still suo motu wrote a letter to CBI on June 30 assuring them full cooperation and stating that we were willing to co-operate in any investigations. We also told them to give us a notice to furnish any documents they require," she said.

CBI sources said in Delhi that the case was registered after the agency completed verification of all the documents submitted by the home ministry while referring the probe to the agency.

The home ministry had referred the probe to CBI last week alleging that its probe has indicated that Sabarang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), run by Teesta and her husband were running a magazine "Communalism Combat" as co-editors as well as printer and publisher and allegedly received foreign contribution. Under FCRA, no foreign contribution shall be accepted by any correspondent, columnist, cartoonist, editor, owner, printer or publisher of a registered paper.