The income-tax department on Wednesday conducted “searches” on the premises of the leading think tank, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), in the capital.
Searches are also said to have been carried out at the offices of the international charity organisation, Oxfam India, and the Independent Public Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF) in the capital.
Sources in the government said the searches were part of raids at several places — including some in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana — over the funding of more than 20 registered but non-recognised political parties.
The IT department has so far not revealed whether or how the searches at the CPR, Oxfam and IPSMF were connected to the probe into the funding of non-recognised political parties.
None of the organisations had commented on the matter, either, till Wednesday evening.
The CPR was earlier headed by eminent academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government.
The CPR’s governing body is now chaired by Meenakshi Gopinath, a political scientist who taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University and was principal of Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. The president and chief executive is Yamini Aiyar, and members of the board include former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The CPR’s partners and donors include reputable international and national organisations ranging from government institutions to non-profits, educational institutions and civil society, the think tank says on its website.
“The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is recognised as a not-for-profit society by the Government of India, and contributions to the Centre are tax-exempt. CPR receives grants from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), and is a Department of Science and Technology (DST) recognised institution,” the website says.
