Before environment lawyer-activist Ritwick Dutta was booked by the CBI, an income tax department report had last year accused him of opposing overseas projects led by Indian entities, including the Adani Group. It had also accused him of using foreign money to partner with domestic NGOs, including an RSS affiliate.
Dutta and his Lawyers Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE proprietorship) have been accused of using foreign money to “stall coal projects in India”. They have been accused of receiving funds to the tune of over Rs 22 crore during 2013-14 and from 2015-16 to 2021-22 from Earth Justice – a US-based group involved in litigation in environment cases across the world. The CBI last week filed a case for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.
