New Delhi [India], March 17 : The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Centre to file its response on a petition filed by the Delhi-based rights body Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) challenging the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) decision to revoke its FCRA registration.
CHRI has requested the court to annul the Cancellation Order dated September 12, 2024, which revoked its FCRA Certificate of Registration.
Petition stated that the respondent unjustifiably relied on undisclosed agency reports to cancel the Petitioner's registration, making baseless allegations like misuse of foreign contributions, errors in Form FC-4, and mismatched financial data. These claims lack merit and logical connection, making the cancellation arbitrary and unfair, plea added.
The bench of Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to MHA and listed the matter for April 1, 2025.
The petitioner stated that it has utilized all foreign contributions solely for the intended and permissible purposes under the Act. The petitioner has consistently deposited grants it
received into the FCRA account as required by law. Additionally, the petitioner has provided complete and accurate information in the statutory Form FC-4 for FY 2018-19 and has complied with all requirements regarding the opening and closing balances for FY 2013-14 to 2018-19.
Plea also stated that the petitioner's cooling-off period, originally set to conclude on April 18, 2025 following the cancellation order dated April 19, 2022, was impacted by judicial proceedings that annulled the order due to the respondent's actions. However, the respondent subsequently issued a fresh cancellation order on September 12, 2024, effectively extending the cooling-off period by an additional three years, totalling six years from the initial cancellation date.
The plea further stated that this extension unjustly penalizes the petitioner for delays and deficiencies solely caused by the respondent, making the action unreasonable, disproportionate, and unfair. Therefore, the cancellation of the Petitioner's Certificate of Registration under the order dated September 12, 2024, should not take effect independently but must instead be deemed effective from the original cancellation order dated April 19, 2022, which was invalidated due to the respondent's faults.
In February 2022, the Delhi High Court declined to intervene in the Union government's decision to suspend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). FCRA registration is essential for organizations to receive foreign funding. Established in 1987, CHRI is a Delhi-based human rights organization.