[indiaagainstcorruption] Teesta Setalvad's NGO foreign financing laid bare

IAC volunteers in Gujarat may kindly stay away from this lady Teesta Setalvad and her husband "Javed" who are foreign financed with over 1 crore from Ford Foundation and 2 crores from other foreign sources. And this is only 1 of their 3 known NGOs

http://dailypioneer.com/nation/104064-teesta-ngo-unmindful-to-forex-obligations.html

Teesta NGO unmindful to forex obligations

The Citizens for Justice & Peace (CJP), a Mumbai-based NGO headed by Teesta Setalvad, stands accused of violating FCRA norms in receiving foreign donations.

The FCRA permission granted on November 21, 2007 to CJP by the Ministry of Home Affairs mentioned that "The bank account mentioned in your application should be used for receiving foreign contribution and no other amount should be credited to this account".

However, a local donation of Rs 10 Lakh, received from The Chatwal Groups by cheque no376284 dated 26/02/09, was deposited by CJP in this FCRA account. Another Rs 2 lakh, received from Saurya Foundation, was also received in FCRA account. These were in clear violation of condition mentioned in the FCRA registration.

Another condition of the FCRA permission was that "The association cannot bring out any publication (Registered under PRB Act 1867) or act as correspondent, columnist, editor, printer or publisher of a registered news paper."

However, it is an open secret that Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand are editors of Communalism Combat (CC) magazine, which is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers. Their other company -- Sabrang Communications & Publishing Pvt Ltd, is the printer and publisher of this magazine. Hence Teesta and Javed Anand, being editors, columnist and printer and publisher of a magazine have also violated this condition of FCRA permission, which attracts provision of Section 4(1) (b) of FCRA Act and is punishable under Section 6(1) and/or Under Section 23 (1) of the FCRA, 1976.

The CJP received Rs 1.56 cr foreign fund in its FCRA account No-014104000204736 with the IDBI Bank, Khar Branch, Mumbai between January 2009 and June 2012. It also received Rs 1.15 Crores in Sabrang Trust in 2009 from Ford Foundation, USA in 2009 for "Peace building activities in Gujarat & Maharashtra."Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand are main trustees of the Trust.

The major amount received by CJP in its FCRA account are $ 19,000 (Rs 8,67,330.00) on January 30, 2009 from the Ian Anderson Group of company Ltd; Euro 10,000 (Rs 6,95,500) on November 23, 2009 from HIVOS, Netherland; $ 15,000 (Rs 6,97,768.00) on June 15, 2010 from United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNVFVT); $ 20,000 (Rs 9,33,465.00) on February 2, 2010 from(UNVFVT); $ 36,000 (Rs 16,24,497.00) on February 28, 2011 from (UNVFVT).

An amount of Rs 12,38,208.76 (Approx $25,000) was also credited in the above account of CJP on June 15, 2012. The name of the donor is not disclosed. Ian Anderson Group of company of USA, which is purely a music company, has paid $19,000 to CJP.

In other words, Teesta received Rs 2.71 crore as foreign remittance. It is well known that Teesta is raking the issue of 2002 Gujarat riots at the national and international forums and seeking donations in the name of helping riots victims.

On scrutiny of FCRA account of CJP it also emerges that although CJP received $71,000 (Rs 32.56 Lacks) from UNVFVT towards providing legal aid to the survivors of the communal violence in Gujarat, but only a meager amount of Rs 46,530 was paid on legal work from this account.

Out of Rs 1.56 crore received by CJP towards foreign donation in the recent years, an amount of Rs 25.50 lacs was transferred in the Fixed Deposit Account on various dates, Rs 27.75 Lacs transferred to another account of CJP, over Rs 4 Lacs transferred in the name of Teesta Setalvad and Rs 1.60 Lacs to Sabrang Communications & Publishing Pvt Ltd , and  Rs 2.04 lacs transferred in Account No-014104000105705.