FPJ Legal: Supreme Court to hear PIL on Jan 25 challenging MHA’s non-renewal of NGO registration under FCRA

The Supreme Court yesterday posted on Tuesday the hearing on cancellation of registration of around 6,000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by the Home Ministry under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA), without which they are deprived of receiving foreign funding.

Justice AM Khanwilkar said: “Today (Monday), we are in two-judge composition. Let it be heard on Tuesday by a three-judge bench. It will be there in the list.”

Ten of the 12 benches on Monday comprised two judges each in view of many judges down with Covid-19 since last week.

On Tuesday, there will be three benches headed by the Chief Justice, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Khanwilkar, while nine benches will be of two judges each and one single-judge bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy.

Since the case was last heard by a three-judge bench, Justice Khanwilkar expressed difficulty for hearing by a two-judge bench. The case will come up before the bench of Justices Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar, which had heard the instant case last time.

The petition has sought direction issued on December 13 prohibiting the organisations whose renewal of registration has been rejected to neither accept the foreign funds, nor utilise the money left in their kitty.

The petition has been filed by Texas-based Global Peace Initiative and its founder KA Paul to extend validity of the registration till Covid-19 continues to be a “notified disaster”.