The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at premises linked to climate advocacy group Satat Sampada Pvt Ltd in a case of alleged foreign exchange violations, with the agency claiming that the company is “suspected” to be receiving funds from abroad to “run narratives to influence government policies in the energy sector”.
The company, which also runs the NGO Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, is co-founded by well-known climate activist Harjeet Singh.
According to ED sources, the agency conducted searches at the premises of an office, a business store and two residences connected to the company in Delhi and Ghaziabad. “The key issues to be examined are end-use of forex money received by them from foreign NGOs and the groups it influences in the name of consultancy,” a senior ED official said.
Late evening, the agency claimed to have recovered more than 45 litres of “unlicensed liquor”, including bottles of brands such as Chivas Regal and Glenmorangie, from premises allegedly linked to Singh and his wife and Satat co-founder Jyoti Awasthi.
Singh did not respond to calls and messages from The Indian Express seeking comment about the ED’s searches and allegations.
A globally recognised face in climate circles, Singh has been a prominent non-government voice for over two decades, playing an active role in international negotiations on behalf of observer organisations. He is known to have done significant background work on creating a framework for the Loss and Damage Fund — for nations most vulnerable and impacted by climate change — which was set up in Dubai in 2023.
As a powerful voice from the Global South against climate inaction by developed countries, Singh’s views were regularly featured in the media. In recent interviews, he had criticised the Supreme Court judgment that accepted a 100-metre height definition for the Aravalli Hills — the court later stayed that order.
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The NGOs that Singh has been associated with in the past include ActionAid International, Climate Action Network and Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
According to Satat Sampada, it works on a “range of issues such as sustainable agriculture; reviving traditional food; marketing of safe food; just transition away from fossil fuels; climate adaptation and resilience; and addressing climate impacts and migration”.
The Satat Sampada Climate Foundation is engaged in largescale organic farming in Ghaziabad, Bundelkhand and Uttarakhand.