Ghaziabad, Jan 6 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a search at a Ghaziabad-based firm, uncovering a significant cache of illegal liquor while also recovering documents indicating suspicious foreign inward remittances exceeding Rs 6 crore, as reported by an official on Tuesday.

The Uttar Pradesh Excise department made one arrest, according to the official.

The ED, with its Headquarters Office, executed a search operation on Monday under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, at multiple locations in the Delhi-NCR region associated with Satat Sampada Private Limited (SSPL).

The Uttar Pradesh Excise department seized the illegal stock of foreign liquor from the premises of Harjeet Singh, a self-styled climate activist and Founding Director of the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, who was also detained.

The searches were part of an ongoing inquiry into questionable foreign inward remittances totaling over Rs 6 crore received by SSPL between 2021 and 2025, a Ghaziabad-based company operated by Harjeet Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi.

The ED accused SSPL shareholders, Harjeet Singh and Jyoti Awasthi, of diverting funds from foreign NGOs into their personal accounts for private expenditures.

Investigations by the ED found that these remittances were disguised as consultancy charges from foreign entities, including Climate Action Network (CAN) and STAND.EARTH, which received substantial funds from prior reference category NGOs like Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

However, verification of filings submitted by foreign remitters suggests that the funds were actually meant to support the agenda of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FF-NPT) in India, according to the statement.

The FF-NPT is a proposed international treaty aimed at phasing out fossil fuel production. While it is presented as a climate initiative, its adoption could expose India to legal challenges in international platforms like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and jeopardize the nation’s energy security and economic growth, the statement added.

Harjeet Singh, a self-identified climate activist and Founding Director of the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, and his wife Jyoti Awasthi, who previously worked with Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), have utilized SSPL to further their activism.

The ED is also examining Singh’s visit to Pakistan in February 2025 for the 'Breathe Pakistan Summit' and the various individuals he encountered during the trip.

During a trip to Bangladesh in December 2025 amidst a backdrop of anti-India protests, he presented a lecture at Sher-e-Bangla University without an official invitation and met various individuals unrelated to the stated purpose. The funding for these trips is also under scrutiny, the ED noted.

SSPL publicly claims to be an agro-based company promoting organic farming and marketing organic produce. However, the ED's investigation implies that this is merely a front.

The primary activity of the company appears to involve channeling foreign funds to promote narratives supporting the FF-NPT cause in India on behalf of foreign influencer groups, according to the ED.

Financial records of SSPL indicate that prior to 2020-21, the company operated at a loss with minimal consultancy revenue. However, following the receipt of over Rs 6.5 crore in foreign remittances post-2021, SSPL reported profitability by categorizing these funds as revenue derived from consultancy services and agro-product sales, the ED stated.

There are suspicions of misdeclaration and misrepresentation regarding the nature and purpose of the foreign funds received by SSPL.

The ED is thoroughly investigating the extent of potential violations of FEMA, 1999, and whether the funded activities pose a risk to national interests, particularly India’s energy security. Further inquiries into the financial trail, the involvement of foreign funding entities, and the activities of the Directors are ongoing.