Madras High Court grants Greenpeace interim stay on cancellation of registration

Chennai: Greenpeace India Limited got relief from the Madras high court in the form of an interim stay on the September 2 order of the Union ministry of home affairs cancelling the registration of the society. The environmental society has been embroiled in a legal dispute with the government ever since a representative was prevented from going to the UK.

Justice M M Sundresh who granted the interim stay also ordered notice to the foreigners division of the ministry to file its reply in eight weeks. In the petition, Greenpeace executive director submitted that the cancellation of the registration number of the society in an order dated Sept. 2 was done with mala fide intention. “The society was denied an opportunity to defend itself,” the petitioner added. In the past also the Union home ministry had made attempts to cancel the registration.

However, Greenpeace fought the order in court and won. Subsequently, the Union home ministry suspended the registration under the FCRA and issued an order to freeze its bank accounts, including those used purely to deposit domestic funds. Earlier, Greenpeace had won its case stating that domestic funds were beyond the scope of the FCRA.

Again, the Union ministry cancelled FCRA registration of the society on nine grounds, one of which alleged that Greenpeace transferred its foreign contributions worth Rs 8.05 lakh in 2010-11 to employees of Greenpeace Environment Trust in violation of FCRA rules. Stating this was a false allegation, the petitioner submitted that no such transfer was made in violation of the law.