SC refuses to stay interim protection to advocates Anand Grover & Indira Jaisingh

A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Krishna Murari on Thursday refused to stay the July 25 order of the Bombay High Court which granted interim protection from arrest to senior advocates Anand Grover and Indira Jaising. Moreover, the Bombay High Court order directed that no coercive steps should be taken against their NGO Lawyers Collective. However, the apex court issued a notice to Grover, Jaising and the NGO on the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea challenging that the Bombay High Court order. Justice Bose stated that he was recusing himself from hearing the matter further.  

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Alleged violation of FCRA

The CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Grover and the Lawyers Collective for allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in the use of foreign funds received. The CBI’s FIR does not name Jaising as an accused. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) complaint which is part of the FIR, mentions her. Both Jaising and Grover had moved the Bombay High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR, after which they were granted interim relief. On the other hand, the CBI claimed that the High Court had neither given any finding as to how the FIR was bad in law or how the continuation of the probe would be contrary to principles of law.  

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Registration of NGO cancelled

In May 2016, the MHA suspended the FCRA registration of Lawyers Collective and denied its renewal. 6 months down the line, the Ministry cancelled its registration under relevant sections of the FCRA Act. The CBI alleged that Grover and Jaising’s NGO failed to disclose to a major part of the foreign funds received by it from 2009 to 2015. Subsequently, in July this year, raids were conducted at the residence of Jaising and Grover, along with the offices of Lawyers Collective in Mumbai and New Delhi.  

(With ANI inputs)

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