Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a case against Arunachal Pradesh environmental activist and lawyer Bhanu Tatak. Investigators claim Tatak violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act by routing over Rs 17.6 lakh into her personal savings account. She allegedly bypassed mandatory registration requirements to receive these funds.
The agency reports the money originated from several foreign entities: the Philippines-based Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, the Ireland-based Front Line, and the United Kingdom-based Human Rights Resource Centre. Officials allege these funds were used to “organise and sustain” protests against major hydropower projects.
Tatak serves as a legal adviser for the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum and coordinates the Dibang Resistance group. These organizations have spearheaded opposition to the 12,500-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project on the Siang River and the 2,880-megawatt Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project. Farmers claim the Siang project threatens the existence of the indigenous Adi community.
The FIR lists charges under sections 11(1), 17, 19, and 35 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. Investigators further allege Tatak failed to file income tax returns between the 2017-18 and 2025-26 financial years. Consequently, these foreign receipts remained missing from official records. The CBI argues these activities damage the economic and strategic interests of the country.
Legal trouble is not new for Tatak. In September 2025, immigration officers at Delhi airport blocked her from flying to Ireland for an academic program at Dublin City University. A lookout circular issued by Arunachal Pradesh Police triggered the stop. At that time, she blasted the travel ban as an “arbitrary abuse of administrative power” against constitutional rights.
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