ITANAGAR, SEP 15:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Arunachal Pradesh-based lawyer and environmental activist Bhanu Tatak for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in connection with foreign funds she allegedly received between 2022 and 2025.

Tatak, who serves as legal adviser to the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum and coordinates civil society group Dibang Resistance, has been involved in campaigns opposing major hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the CBI, Tatak allegedly received more than Rs 17.6 lakh from foreign organisations and individuals directly into her personal savings bank account without obtaining the mandatory registration or certification under the FCRA.

The agency has named several foreign organisations in the case, including the Philippines-based Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy and Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Ireland-based Front Line and the UK-based Human Rights Resource Centre.

The CBI has further alleged that Tatak did not file income tax returns and that the foreign funds received by her were not reflected in official records.

The agency has also alleged that the funds were used to support and sustain protests against hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, which it claimed could have implications for the country’s economic and strategic interests.

Tatak has denied the allegations and rejected the CBI’s claims.

She has been associated with opposition to the proposed 12,500-MW Siang Multipurpose Project on the Siang River, while Dibang Resistance has campaigned against the proposed 2,880-MW hydropower project on the Dibang River.

The case is at the investigation stage, and the allegations contained in the FIR are yet to be established before a court of law. (Source: Eastern Journal)