MHA official Anand Joshi, under scanner for FCRA notices to NGOs, arrested by CBI

A case has been registered against Anand Joshi by CBI in connection with Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, notices to NGOs.

Pic courtesy: ANI

Delhi:  Anand Joshi, Under Secretary in the Union Home Ministry who is under scanner for FCRA notices to NGOs, was on Sunday night arrested by the CBI.

The agency had issued him summons following corruption allegations.

Joshi was placed under arrest by the CBI after he allegedly failed to give convincing answers to the questions posed by a team of Special Crime division.

A case has been registered against Joshi by the investigating agency in connection with Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, (FCRA) notices to NGOs.

He was accused of taking away several files of different NGOs, including one related to Care India, a voluntary organisation.

"Based on the information of his movements, raids were conducted and Joshi was detained from Tilak Nagar in west Delhi around 5pm today (Sunday). He was taken to the CBI headquarters (in Delhi) and was arrested after questioning," Central Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Devpreet Singh was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Joshi had gone missing on  May 11 from his residence in Ghaziabad, leaving behind a note claiming that he was facing "mental harassment" and had made too many "enemies" while serving the nation.

After CBI had registered a case against him, Joshi had claimed that he was pressurised by his superior to give clean chit to some of the NGOs who were served FCRA notices, including the Ford Foundation.

In the Hindi note addressed to his wife, Minakshi Sharma , Joshi had said, "I have been going through extremely high mental harassment for the past few months but now the situation has got out of hand... At this moment I need peace and that is not possible here. I am leaving home and please do not look for me. You (Minakshi) are now both a father and a mother to our children. The dedication and integrity with which I was serving the nation, I had never imagined that this would happen to me... While serving my nation, I have probably made too many enemies," as per PTI.

Joshi had claimed that he was "being pressurised and threatened by Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry BK Prasad to give clean chit to some of the NGOs" which he had refused to obey.

Prasad, who is heading the Foreigners Division handling NGOs and issues related to FCRA, denied the allegations levelled against him. 

(With Agency inputs)