Sabrang Trust, CJP do not see themselves above law; expect others to do so as well

Sabrang Trust, headed by well-known human rights activist, Teesta Setalvad, issued the following statement following a visit by an inspection team of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to inspect its and Centre for Justice and Peace's accounts and records in an embezzlement case:
Following the letter from the Gujarat Government to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, a team of four senior officers from the Monitoring Unit of the Foreign Contribution Regulation (FCRA) department, New Delhi visited the registered offices of Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) for an inspection of the accounts and records of both the trusts.
The inspection team was led by a Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and he was accompanied by three Assistant Directors from the FCRA department’s Monitoring Unit.
Executive functionaries of CJP and Sabrang Trust, Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand, extended full co-operation to the inspection team which spent three full days (April 6-8) scrutinizing the original accounts and other records of CJP. From April 9-11 they similarly examined the original accounts and other records of Sabrang Trust. Several hundred photocopies of the original accounts and other records were provided as requested by the inspection team. Soft copies of some other accounts related details were also provided on DVD.
We are happy to record that throughout the week-long inspection, the Inspection Team members headed by the Deputy Secretary, expressed their appreciation of the courtesies and the full co-operation extended to them by the executives and the staff of Sabrang Trust and CJP.
It may also be noted that in connection with the ongoing investigation by the Crime Branch, Ahmedabad police, into the alleged embezzlement of funds by Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand, Sabrang Trust and CJP have already provided over 20,354 documents (hard and soft copies) to the investigation officer. Further, both Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand have even appeared for personal interrogation on December 15-16, 2014 and January 5-6, 2015.
The trustees and office bearers of Sabrang Trust and CJP do not see themselves as above the law. They believe in the law of the land and expect others to do so as well. We believe that neither Sabrang Trust nor CJP has violated the provisions of the FCRA Act or for that matter any law of the land.

Comments

Manmade disaster? Infrastructure projects in, around Vadodara caused 'devastating' floods

Counterview Desk In a letter to local, Gujarat, and Indian authorities, several concerned citizens* have said that there has been devastating flood and waterlogging situation in Vadodara region since Monday 26th August 2024 which was "avoidable", stating, this has happened because of "multiple follies, flaws and fallacies across all levels of governance."

Everyone we meet is a teacher – if we only know how to connect the dots

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* We observe Teacher's Day on 05 September every year. In my journey from being a student and later a teacher which of course involves being a life-long student, I have come across many teachers who have never entered the portals of a educational institution, in addition to those to whom we pay our respects on Teachers Day.

'300 Nazis fell by your gun': Most successful female sniper in history

By Harsh Thakor* "Miss Pavlichenko’s well known to fame, Russia’s your country, fighting is your game. The whole world will always love you for all time to come, Three hundred Nazis fell by your gun." — from Woody Guthrie's “Miss Pavlichenko"

Labeled as social lending, peer-to-peer system is fundamentally profit-driven

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak The Sumerian civilisation, one of the earliest known societies, had sophisticated systems of lending, borrowing, credit, and debt. These systems were based on mutual trust and social currency, allowing individuals to engage in economic transactions without the need for physical money or barter. Instead, social bonds and communal trust underpinned these interactions, facilitating trade and the distribution of resources.

Researchers note 'severe impact' of climate change on potability of groundwater

By Vikas Meshram* Climate change is having a profound impact on various natural resources, and groundwater is a significant one that is currently under threat. Rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and increasing pressure from human activities are deteriorating groundwater quality. This article delves into the effects of climate change on the potability of groundwater, the causes, and potential solutions.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Shared culture 'makes it easy' to talk about Indo-Pak friendship across the border in Punjab

By Sandeep Pandey* The Socialist Party (India) recently organized a India Pakistan Peace and Friendship March during 9 to 14 August, 2024 from Mansa to Atari-Wagha border in Amritsar District. Since the Modi government has come to power it has become difficult to cross the border otherwise it would have been a march going inside Pakistan as one was organized in 2005 between Delhi and Multan.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Search This Blog