PC says more NGOs under scanner

Signaling that more suspect NGOs were under its scanner, the government on Wednesday claimed that the bank accounts of four outfits, allegedly fuelling the anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project movement in Tamil Nadu, were “frozen” for “diversion of funds” for the purpose for which they did not receive foreign funding.

Disclosing this here, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said though the Tamil Nadu police and the CBI were looking into the cases of the four NGOs, information available with his ministry indicated that several non-profit organisations were found to have violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

The cases being probed by the CBI and referred to the Home Ministry involved “large scale” diversion of foreign donations. The home minister refused to confirm that there was any link between inspection of accounts and activities of the NGOs and their support to the anti-KNPP movement.

His disclosure came at a time when the Tamil Nadu police claimed that Rs 12 crore was channelled to fuel protests against the KNPP via the four NGOs with the help of German deportee Reiner Hermann.

A laptop seized from Hermann reportedly contains vital information and photos of the deportee’s movements.

Justifying the deportation of a German national, Sonnteg Reiner Hermann, on the ground that he was raising money (to help fund protests against the KNPP), Chidamabram said the Hermann had taken part in “semi-political activities” though he was on a tourist visa in the country.

Chidambaram said that a look out notice had been issued for the Hermann, 49, after he
left India but managed to re-enter the country on a tourist visa.

He said Hermann’s case was different from David Coleman Headley’s as “one piece of information” related to the German national was missing with the immigration authorities and that helped him enter the country. The government was looking into the lapse, the minister said. Hermann, who was put on a flight to Frankfurt on Tuesday, was “identified and found staying in that area and therefore asked to leave the country,” the minister said.