The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Arunachal Pradesh-based lawyer and environmental activist Bhanu Tatak over alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), officials said.
Tatak, who is associated with the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF) and coordinates the civil society group Dibang Resistance, has been involved in protests against major hydropower projects proposed in Arunachal Pradesh.
According to the FIR, filed on August 20 against Tatak and unknown persons, the CBI has alleged that she received foreign contributions directly into her personal bank account without obtaining the registration or prior permission required under the FCRA.
The FIR alleges that between 2022 and 2025, foreign exchange transactions resulted in Rs 20.94 lakh being credited to Tatak’s State Bank of India account at Roing. The agency has identified several overseas organisations and individuals as alleged sources of the funds, including the Philippines-based Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy and Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Ireland-based Front Line and the UK-based Human Rights Resource Centre.
The CBI has further alleged that the funds were used to “organise and sustain anti-dam protests” against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) and the Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project. The agency has alleged that such activities were affecting the country’s economic and strategic interests.
The FIR also contains allegations that Tatak did not file income tax returns between 2017-18 and 2025-26 and did not declare the alleged foreign receipts in official records.
The case was registered following a preliminary enquiry conducted by the CBI on the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Tatak has denied any wrongdoing and said she is cooperating with the investigation. “I am a law-abiding citizen and have committed no violation of the law,” she said, adding that the matter was under investigation.
She also said she had received the Bhagirath Prayas Samman Award, India 2023, for her work in river conservation, along with educational and research scholarships. Tatak and Dibang Resistance received the award at the 10th India Rivers Week event held in Maharashtra in November 2023.
Tatak and groups associated with her have opposed the proposed 12,500-MW Siang Multipurpose Project on the Siang River and the 2,880-MW Dibang hydropower project on the Dibang River.
The activist had earlier made headlines in September 2025 when immigration authorities stopped her from boarding a flight to Ireland at Delhi airport following a lookout circular issued by the Arunachal Pradesh Police. She was scheduled to attend a three-month academic programme at Dublin City University.
Tatak subsequently joined the Indian National Congress in Itanagar on December 2, 2025.
