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Govt accuses Greenpeace of ‘forum shopping’; HC favours NGO

The move by the Greenpeace came a day after Madras High Court stayed for eight weeks the order cancelling its registration under FCRA.
New Delhi Published:Sep 17, 2015, 19:48
Government today charged Greenpeace India with indulging in “forum shopping” to get relief, but did not succeed in Delhi High Court to stop the NGO from withdrawing its plea challenging suspension of its FCRA registration and freezing of five bank accounts.
The move by the Greenpeace came a day after Madras High Court stayed for eight weeks the order cancelling its registration under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Observing that the NGO cannot be forced to pursue the matter here, Justice R S Endlaw said “accordingly, writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn.”
The court clarified that since Greenpeace has decided not to pursue the matter, it was open to the government to take whatever action permissible under the law for transactions carried out by the NGO under the interim order defreezing two of its domestic accounts.