ED raids activist Harsh Mander in money laundering probe

The ED officials began the raids at 8 am in the morning based on an FIR (First Information Report) filed by the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police in February this year, according to an NDTV report.

Mander's Vasant Kunj home, his office at the Centre for Equity Studies in Adchini, and two children's homes run by his NGO were raided.

The raids started hours after Mander and his wife left for Germany, the report said, adding that he has taken up a six-month fellowship at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.

At the time of the raid, Mander's daughter and son-in-law were in his Vasant Kunj residence.

The raids were conducted after the NCPCR, or National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, alleged financial irregularities in the two children's homes - Umeed Aman Ghar (for boys) and Khushi Rainbow Home (for girls) - in Delhi's Mehrauli, the report said.

The Delhi Police has invoked cheating, breach of trust and criminal conspiracy charges against Mander in the FIR, the report informed.

All three are 'scheduled offences', meaning that ED can take cognisance of the FIR and probe the proceeds of the alleged crime.

Mander had earlier called the allegations completely false.

"I think it is completely unjustified. We created a very strong system, like we had elder women (caretakers) sleeping with smaller children and we have counselling. It is just an allegation and a rumour," he had said, according to the report.

The raids have elicited criticism from the opposition. Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh called Mander a "most conscientious and honest officer" and said he "strongly condemned the raids".