CBI raids Amnesty India offices in Bengaluru, New Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation has raided the Bengaluru and New Delhi offices of Amnesty International India over irregularities in foreign funding.

“The CBI had registered a case on November 5 on a complaint received from the Home Ministry against Amnesty International India Pvt. Ltd, Indians for Amnesty International Trust, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust and others,” the CBI said in a statement.

Reacting to the CBI’s action, Amnesty International India said that it was being targeted for speaking out against human rights violations in the country.

“Over the past year, a pattern of harassment has emerged every time. Amnesty India stands up and speaks out against human rights violations in India,” Amnesty said in a statement.

“Amnesty India stands in full compliance with Indian and international law. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance, and dissent,” it added.

For the last few years, Amnesty India has been under the scanner of the Indian investigation agencies. Its Bengaluru office was raided by the Enforcement Directorate last year for alleged violation of foreign direct investment guidelines.