New Delhi (ILNS): Rejecting a plea from LIFE Mission Housing Project, a project for housing for the homeless with funds from United Arab Emirate Red Crescent, the Kerala High Court today allowed the CBI to continue its probe on alleged FCRA violation for the project of in Wadakkancherry, Thrissur.
A single bench of Justice V G Arun heard the petition filed by filed by the Chief Executive Officer of LIFE Mission project, challenging the FIR registered by the CBI over violations of FCRA in accepting foreign donations from the UAE.
Senior Advocate K V Vishwanathan, on behalf of the project, said that the CBI had registered the FIR with mala fide intention and that the agency was guided by political and extraneous considerations. He said Section 3 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, is not applicable to foreign contributions received by private contractors from the United Arab Emirate Red Crescent for the construction of housing plots for the homeless under the ‘LIFE Mission’ project.
It was the sponsors which had selected Unitac and Sane Ventures, another construction company for carrying out the construction of the buildings under the project. Neither the state government nor Life Mission had any role in the section of contractors, added the Counsel.
Considering the arguments by the Counsel the court said: “Let the investigation go on.” Further, notice was issued to the CBI with the direction that LIFE Mission will cooperate in the investigation.
The next date of hearing is October 8.
Anil Akkara, Congress party MLA, filed a complaint before the CBI on September 20, alleging that the foreign contributions has transferred 10 lakh in Dirhams to the private contractors – Unitac Ltd and Sane Ventures for the construction of 140 housing units in Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district under the Livelihood, Inclusion and Financial Empowerment (LIFE) Mission. This, he claimed, was in violation of FCRA norms. In compliance of the complaint the CBI registered the FIR under Section 35 of the FCRA and Section 120B of the IPC.
-ILNS