In a countrywide crackdown, the CBI conducted operations at 40 locations and apprehended around 14 people including home ministry officials, NGO representatives and middlemen for allegedly facilitating the clearance of foreign donations in violation of FCRA, officials said Tuesday, May 10. The operation was launched after a complaint from the Union Home Ministry to the CBI in this regards, a home ministry spokesperson said.

Officials said that when the issue of alleged violations of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) was brought to the notice of Home Minister Amit Shah, he directed that the strongest possible action should be taken against those involved. The MHA then lodged the complaint with the CBI, they said.

The arrest formalities are going on against some of the apprehended officials and others, they said. 

During its operation, the CBI found several officials were allegedly involved in exchanging bribes for facilitating clearances of foreign donations to NGOs in alleged violation of FCRA rules, agency officials said. 

The coordinated operation was going on at around 40 locations including in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mysore and some places in Rajasthan, they said. 

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) source said that a hawala connection has also been exposed in the raids through which they sent around Rs 2 crore. "We have detailed few MHA officials for allegedly helping NGOs which were issued notices for FCRA violation or those seeking renewal of FCRA registration. FCRA is mandatory to receive foreign funds. Around 40 locations have been raided so far," the source told IANS.

The CBI team have caught the MHA officials receiving bribe redhanded.

A case under various sections of IPC read with sections of Prevention of Corruption Act has been lodged in this respect. The CBI sources said that more arrests in the case are likely.