The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a case against Arunachal Pradesh-based lawyer and environmental activist Bhanu Tatak for allegedly receiving funds from abroad in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. Additionally, Tatak was stopped by immigration authorities from boarding a flight to Ireland in September 2025.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against Arunachal Pradesh-based lawyer and environmental activist Bhanu Tatak for allegedly receiving funds from abroad in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Tatak is a legal adviser to the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum and the coordinator of civil society organisation Dibang Resistance. She has been protesting against the Siang Multipurpose Project, a proposed 12,500-megawatt power project on Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang river, and a 2,880-megawatt power project on the Dibang river.
The CBI alleged that Tatak received foreign contributions for research projects between 2022-’25 in violation of the Act. The central agency has alleged in its first information report, seen by Scroll , that Tatak had received more than Rs 17.6 lakh in funds from ‘different foreign organisations and individuals directly into her personal savings bank account without obtaining mandatory certification of registration’ under the FCRA.
The foreign entities include Philippines-based Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Ireland-based Front Line, and United Kingdom-based Human Rights Resource Centre. The CBI claimed that Tatak has never filed income tax returns and that the foreign funds were not reflected in any official records.
The central agency further alleged that the funds were ‘being utilised to organise and sustain anti-dam protests’ in Arunachal Pradesh, thereby adversely affecting economic and strategic interests of the country. Tatak did not comment on the matter when contacted by Scroll . This article will be updated if she responds.
In September 2025, Tatak was stopped by the immigration authorities from boarding a flight to Ireland at the Delhi airport based on a lookout circular issued against her by Arunachal Pradesh Police. The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum has alleged that the Siang Multipurpose Project poses an existential threat to the indigenous community, the Adi tribe.
Source:
Scroll.in
