Ten people, including five government officials, have been arrested for taking bribe on behalf of non-profits for allegedly facilitating violations of rules in receiving foreign donations, sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Monday after a big nationwide crackdown across 40 locations.
The Home Ministry officials, say CBI sources, gave illegal Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) clearances to Non-Governmental Organisation or NGOs in exchange of bribe.
The sources added that public officials from the Home Ministry, NGO representatives and middleman were caught red-handed receiving bribe for securing foreign funding clearances.
Illegal transactions of around Rs 2 crore routed through hawala channels have been found, said the agency after searches in Delhi, Rajasthan, Chennai, Mysore, among others.
The CBI conducted the raids after it was tipped off by the Home Ministry.
With inputs from NDTV
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