CBI Probes Alleged FCRA Violations at Sonam Wangchuk’s HIAL Amid Rising Tensions in Ladakh.
Leh:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an inquiry into alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) by the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), an institution founded by renowned educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to sources, the investigation stems from a complaint by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), but no First Information Report (FIR) has been filed yet. A CBI team reportedly visited both HIAL and the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) last week, requesting financial records related to foreign contributions received between 2022 and 2024.
According to news agency PTI, Wangchuk said the CBI team presented an order citing alleged receipt of foreign funds without FCRA clearance. “We don’t seek foreign donations. We export knowledge and services and have agreements with the United Nations, a Swiss university, and an Italian organisation, for which we received payment with taxes duly paid,” he clarified.
He alleged that although the CBI’s mandate was to examine transactions between 2022 and 2024, investigators have been demanding records for 2021, 2020, and beyond, including documents from a school unrelated to the complaint.
Wangchuk also expressed concern over a series of government actions he believes are targeting him and his work. He cited a sedition case, a land lease cancellation for HIAL, income tax summons, and a revived four-year-old complaint about labour payments. “It’s like guns blazing from all sides,” he said.
He claimed that despite Ladakh being a tax-exempt region, he voluntarily pays taxes and is now being summoned by authorities. He described the situation as part of a pattern of harassment following his environmental and political activism.
Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since September 10, demanding statehood for Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect tribal rights and land.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated in Ladakh on Wednesday, with violent protests breaking out—the worst since 1989, according to officials. Youths reportedly vandalised the BJP office, the Hill Council, and set multiple vehicles on fire. Security forces had to use tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
The CBI investigation continues, with officers still stationed in Ladakh, scrutinising financial records of the institutions.
