The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided premises linked to retired IAS officer and prominent activist Harsh Mander.
The ED conducted searches at least three locations related to Mander including his office in Adchini, residence in Vasant Kunj and the children’s home run by the activist in Mehrauli, The Quint reported.
In July, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) told the Delhi High Court that it recommended action against the two children’s homes linked to Mander after finding various violations and discrepancies on part of the management, reports Indian Express.
One of the violations mentioned by NCPCR in its reply to the court is that they were informed by the children that they had been taken to protest sites, including Jantar Mantar.
In October last year, the NCPCR had raided Mander’s children’s homes and, according to activist, allegedly sought to know whether the children had participated in the anti-CAA protests; regarding his association with them; about any foreign funding; and whether shelter was given to Rohingya refugee children at the two places.
According to The Quint, Mander is out of the country with his wife.
Mander formerly worked in the Indian Administrative Service, serving in the predominantly tribal states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for almost two decades. After Gujarat anti-Muslim genocide, Mander left the service in 2002, and started social activism
Mander who started the Karwan-e-Mohabbat campaign in solidarity with the victims of communal violence, is the Director of the Centre for Equity Studies, a research organisation based in New Delhi.
He also served as Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court of India in the Right to Food Campaign and was a member of the National Advisory Council of the Government of India, set up under the UPA government.
