Bombay high court relief for Lawyers Collective

The Bombay high court on Wednesday restrained the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from taking any coercive action against Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Lawyers Collective and its founders, senior advocates Anand Grover and Indira Jaising, until August 19 over alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

The NGO and its founding trustees moved the high court on Tuesday after the CBI raided their premises on July 11. They sought quashing of the criminal proceedings against them.

The NGO’s lawyer, Aspi Chinoy, submitted that the FIR filed in the case was based on “highly controversial” interpretation of the FCRA. He submitted the Union home ministry carried out an inspection of the petitioners’ premises sometime in 2016.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh opposed the plea. He said a bare perusal of the FIR would indicate that numerous breaches and contraventions have been detected during the inspection. But a division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati Dangre granted the relief to the petitioners.