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

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Satat Sampada, the organisation of climate activist Harjeet Singh and his wife, said the allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate against the firm and its founder were baseless, biased and misleading.

The federal probe agency 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).

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 subjudice".

"We categorically state that the allegations being reported are baseless, biased, and misleading," it said.

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,” the company 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 FF-NPT ( the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty) cause in India on behalf of foreign influencer groups.

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

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. PTI NES OZ OZ