The Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police has registered a case under multiple sections against the Centre for Equity Studies (CES) and its officials, where Harsh Mander is a Director. The FIR was registered under sections 406, 409, 420 and 120B of the IPC.
https://twitter.com/UnSubtleDesi/status/1363035102847012872?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe CES had first found itself in a controversy after an inspection by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) revealed financial irregularities in shelter homes established by the NGO. A case of child sexual abuse was also alleged in one of the shelter homes.
The shelter homes in question were being funded by the Center for Equity Studies, the Rainbow Foundation of India (RFI), the Association for Rural and Urban Needy (ARUN-India), the ‘Dil Se Campaign’ of Can Assist Society and Aman Biradari, another organisation of Harsh Mander, was involved as well.
As it turns out, ARUN has disclosed that it has received Rs. 35,00,000 from Islamic Relief Worldwide in its FCRA submission in 2019.
The IRW has a long history of controversies. It is banned from operating in Israel over allegations of funding Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organisation in multiple countries. The government of Bangladesh had accused IRW of funding militants and encouraging radicals as well. The German government also claimed that they have ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, another organization banned in multiple countries.
Under such circumstances, IRW funding ARUN raises significant questions. An FIR was registered at the shelter home subsequently for the child sex abuse complaint. Mander is a former member of Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council (NAC) and a member of an organisation having links with Italian Secret Service and the Italian government.