Missing Ministry Official linked to Teesta Setalvad case found, Detained

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi May 16 , 2016 : A home ministry official, who was being investigated in connection with the case against activist Teesta Setalvad’s organistion Sabrang and had gone missing, was found and detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation today.

 
Under secretary Anand Joshi - in charge of non-profits and their foreign funding -- had allegedly removed critical files connected to the investigation against Ms Setalvad. During the investigation, documents linked to the inquiry into the foreign funding of NGOs were found at his home.

But ahead of his questioning by the agency last week, Mr Joshi’s family reported that he had gone missing.

Mr Joshi was detained today over arbitrary issuance of notices to NGOs. The agency said the official had sent notices to several non-profits that were receiving foreign funds and had demanded bribes to help them.

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

The files on Ms Setalvad’s Sabrang were found missing when the ministry was about to cancel the permits to the organisation. Mr Joshi had allegedly said that he had taken the files home.

Sabrang Trust’s licence was suspended last year by the home ministry, which asked the organisation to explain its foreign funding.