Karnataka HC quashes 2018 ED notice to block Amnesty India’s bank account

Did Centre give directions to raid SDPI offices?: Karnataka HC to govt

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate in 2018 under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Information Technology Act for the blocking of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd’s bank account.

The Karnataka High Court’s single-judge bench dismissed the October 26, 2018 notice for blocking Amnesty India’s account because it was only valid for 60 days.

Amnesty International India and the Indians for Amnesty International Trust have petitioned the High Court in response to the ED letter. The case was disposed of on Friday.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the senior counsel for the NGO said that the notice issued by the ED under section 37 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, read with section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, is only valid for 60 days. Amnesty stated in the HC that sub-section 8A of the IT Act stipulates sixty days, and there is no mechanism for exceeding sixty days from the date of the ruling.

In a petition filed by Greenpeace India Society, the NGO referenced an order issued in February 2019 by a single-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court. The HC decided in the Greenpeace case in 2019 that the ED’s notification issued under sections 37 of FEMA and 132 of the IT Act lost its force after 60 days. The decision was based on Supreme Court decisions in comparable cases.

During the last decade, the ED has blocked several Amnesty accounts under FEMA and PMLA rules. Following the freezing of its bank accounts by the Enforcement Directorate, Amnesty International decided to close its headquarters in India in 2020.

The ED searched Amnesty India properties in Bengaluru in October 2018 in connection with a case in which the Amnesty International India Foundation Trust was suspected of attempting to avoid Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) laws after being denied registration under FCRA by the MHA.

Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

‘No difference between Congress, PFI’: Karnataka BJP

Image
Bengalore: Coming down heavily on the Congress for demanding a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the lines of the Popular Front of India, the ruling BJP has equated the PFI with the Congress. Minister for Education B.C. Nagesh said on Friday that there was no difference between the ideologies of the Congress party and the PFI. “I don’t know what Congress leaders know about the RSS. A few of them want votes of Muslims and that is why they are demanding a ban on the RSS,” he said. “RSS is a patriotic organisation. It is not getting any funds from the government. It is not important whether it is registered or not. RSS is working for the welfare of the country. But, PFI is indulging in anti-national activities,” he stated. Also Read Police officers troubling Congress will be taught a lesson: Siddaramaiah “It is being banned as there is evidence to prove the charges. Till date all decisions made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah have been
Read more

Karnataka govt all set to launch free bus travel scheme

Image
Bengaluru: Congress-ruled Karnataka government is all set to launch the Shakthi scheme on Sunday which facilitates free bus travel for all women in state owned Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and other corporations. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will turn ‘conductor’ to inaugurate the scheme and he will issue free tickets to women travelling from Majestic BMTC bus stop to Vidhana Soudha. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy will be present on the occasion. The police will be deputed in all BMTC buses after inauguration of the scheme in Bengaluru to avoid any confusion and untoward incidents until the scheme takes off smoothly. All eight DCPs in Bengaluru have been directed to ensure peace as it is expected that miscreants would create confusion to get political mileage. The jurisdictional police and 2,000 home guards are roped in for the purpose. The Hoysala vehicles will a
Read more