Enforcement Directorate searches home of activist over alleged foreign funding for anti-fossil-fuel treaty

Investigators from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched the home of environmental activist Harjeet Singh and properties of his group Satat Sampada as part of an inquiry that the agency says centres on claims his campaigning for a treaty to cut fossil fuel use was undermining the national interest.

The ED said it was probing “suspicious foreign inward remittances received in the garb of consultancy charges” and alleges Singh and his wife, Jyoti Awasthi, were paid almost £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non‑proliferation treaty (FFNPT). The agency said cross‑verification of filings suggested the funds were intended to promote the FFNPT within India and accused Satat Sampada of acting as a front, with payments from campaign groups transforming a loss‑making company from 2021.

The ED said adoption of the FFNPT could expose India to legal challenges in international forums like the International Court of Justice and could “severely compromise the nation’s energy security and economic development.” Officers reported finding a large cache of whiskey above legal limits at Singh’s home; local police arrested and then bailed him on Monday night.

The agency is also investigating trips Singh made to Pakistan and Bangladesh last year, including how they were funded.

Key Topics

Politics, Harjeet Singh, Satat Sampada, Enforcement Directorate, Ffnpt, India