Climate activist Harjeet Singh's company calls ED action baseless, biased

Satat Sampada, the organisation of climate activist Harjeet Singh and his wife, said the allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the firm and its founder were baseless, biased and misleading.

The ED on January 5 searched the home and office of the company and the couple as part of an investigation being conducted against them under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for allegedly channelling foreign funds to run narratives on cutting down use of fossil fuels in India on behalf of foreign ''influencer groups''.

Singh was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh excise department on charges of keeping liquor bottles beyond the ''permissible'' limit at his home, on the information provided by the ED. A Ghaziabad court had granted him bail on January 6.

In a statement to PTI, Satat Sampada said that it was constrained to share further details on this action ''as the matter was sub judice''. ''We categorically state that the allegations being reported are baseless, biased, and misleading.'' The ED, in a statement, said it was investigating alleged misuse of Rs 6 crore funds received from abroad by Singh's organic farming and climate action company Satat Sampada Pvt. Ltd. (SSPL), co-founded with his wife Jyoti Awasthi, and purported narrative-building on behalf of foreign influencer groups.

The agency said it was also probing the source of funds for Singh's visits to Pakistan and Bangladesh during 2025.

''The company was established using the founders' personal savings and loans, including by mortgaging their only home, reflecting their long-term commitment to environmental and social causes," Satat Sampada said in its statement.

''SSPL's consultancy and management services expanded after Mr Singh left his full-time employment in 2021 to engage more actively with the organisation,'' it said.

These services, it added, focused on management advisory work related to the environment, climate change and disaster response.

The company further said that Singh has travelled internationally for the past two decades to participate in climate-related conferences, summits and policy forums.

These visits were undertaken strictly in a professional capacity, where he has consistently represented the concerns of developing countries and highlighted India's progress in renewable energy and climate action, Satat Sampada said.

''We fully cooperated and provided all relevant information and documentary evidence and remain willing to extend complete cooperation and furnish any further information required by the competent authorities,'' it said.

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

The agency added that 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. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative group also said that they are concerned by the news of action against their strategic advisor Harjeet Singh.

"We understand that Harjeet Singh was detained overnight and granted bail by the competent authority, after consideration of the merits of the case. We are concerned by the news and are following the situation closely," Director at Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, Alex Rafalowicz said in a statement.

The groups clarified that equity and justice are at the core of the initiative's work.

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

Rafalowicz said that they are awaiting the outcome of the investigation and are not in a position to comment on specific aspects.

"We also want to clarify that equity and justice are at the core of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative's work. Our vision is to ensure energy security for all peoples and countries in a manner that also secures climate justice," he said.

Tezporah Berman, founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative further clarified that the initiative intends to support developing countries - including India - through international cooperation, economic diversification, access to finance, and technology transfer.

"The proposed concept for the Treaty clearly articulates the principle of common but differentiated historical responsibilities for the climate crisis, recognising the need for different pathways and timelines towards a global just transition to phase out fossil fuels,'' Berman said. She stated that their "purpose is to advance, fair, and orderly transitions" to renewable and accessible energy systems, with a particular focus on those most in need.

"Eighteen countries from the Global South are already supporting the initiative on an entirely voluntary basis, and we do not seek to pressure any developing country to join," Berman said, adding that they will continue to monitor the situation closely and share further information as appropriate.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)