UP excise arrests climate activist Harjeet Singh after ED tip-off; his Pakistan, Bangladesh visits under lens

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh excise department arrested renowned climate activist Harjeet Singh for keeping "excess" liquor at home on Tuesday, a day after the ED searched him in a foreign exchange violation case related to alleged misuse of Rs 6 crore funds received from abroad and narrative-building on behalf of foreign influencer groups, the agency said.

It added that Singh's visits to Pakistan and Bangladesh during 2025 and its funding were under scanner.

The federal probe agency had searched the premises of Singh, a leading climate activist whose voice found space at various news and other platforms, and his wife Jyoti Awasthi apart from that of their company Satat Sampada Pvt. Ltd. (SSPL) in Delhi and Ghaziabad, UP on Monday under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The ED said it found Indian liquor and IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) "beyond permissible limits" (about Rs 45 litres) during the Monday searches at his residence in Ghaziabad as it shared pictures of brands like Chivas 12 and Glenmorangie in the press statement.

It said the information was shared with local excise authorities who seized the excess liquor and arrested Singh for "contravention" of the UP state excise laws.

Singh and Awasthi are co-founders of organic food company Satat Sampada. A PTI email soliciting their response on these charges did not get a response.

The ED said its probe found that while SSPL "projects" itself as an agro-based company engaged in promoting organic farming and marketing organic produce, it was just a "front" activity.

"The company's primary activity appears to be channelling foreign funds to run narratives furthering the FF-NPT (the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty) cause in India on behalf of foreign influencer groups," the ED claimed.

The FF-NPT is a proposed international treaty aiming to phase out fossil fuel production.

It added that the financial trajectory of SSPL found that before 2020-21, the company operated at a loss with minimal consultancy revenue.

Post-2021, coinciding with the receipt of over Rs 6.5 crore in foreign remittances, SSPL turned profitable by booking these funds as revenue from "consultancy services" and "agro-product sales." The shareholders of SSPL, Harjeet Singh and Jyoti Awasthi, "diverted" funds received from foreign NGOs to their personal accounts for private use, the federal probe agency said.

The ED said while FF-NPT is presented as a climate initiative, its adoption could expose India to legal challenges in international forums like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and severely compromise the nation's energy security and economic development.

It was also alleged by the ED that the Rs 6 crore remittances were received by SSPL between 2021-25 in the garb of "consultancy" charges from foreign entities including Climate Action Network (CAN) and STAND.EARTH etc., which have in-turn received huge funds from prior reference category NGOs like Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

However, cross-verification of filings made by the remitters abroad indicates that the funds were actually intended to promote the agenda of the FF-NPT within India, it said.

The ED said the couple, previously engaged with Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), used SSPL to "advance" their activism.

The agency said it was investigating Singh's visit to Pakistan in February 2025 for the 'Breathe Pakistan Summit' and the various persons he met there.

It added that he also travelled to Bangladesh in December 2025 when "anti-India" protests were being held in the neighbouring country and delivered a lecture at the Sher-e-Bangla University without any official invitation and met various individuals "unconnected" to the stated purpose.

The funding for these trips is also under scrutiny, the ED said.

"The agency is investigating the full extent of the suspected violations of FEMA and whether the activities funded were against the national interest, specifically India's energy security.

"Further investigation into the financial trail, the role of the foreign funding entities, and the activities of the directors is under progress," it said.
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