NEW DELHI: Turning the heat on NGO 'Lawyers Collective' and its founder members and senior advocates Anand Grover and Indira Jaising , the CBI moved the Supreme Court on Friday challenging a Bombay HC order protecting the lawyers from "any coercive action" by the probe agency.

On detecting violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act provisions , the home ministry had refused renewal of FCRA licence to Lawyers Collective in October 2016. On a PIL seeking a thorough probe into the affairs of Lawyers Collective, the SC had in May sought response from the NGO but had clarified that pendency of the petition would not stop probe agencies from acting in accordance with the law.

On June 13, the CBI had lodged an FIR under various provisions of Indian Penal Code and FCRA against the NGO and its founding members. In July, a Mumbai CBI court issued search warrants against the NGO. The NGO moved the Bombay HC seeking quashing of the FIR. On July 25, the HC granted interim relief to the founding members -Grover and Jaising - and directed the CBI not to take any coercive step against them.

The CBI's appeal, drafted by advocate Rajat Nair, sought vacation of the HC's protective order saying effective interrogation of Grover and Jaising "is absolutely necessary in disinterring many useful information and also material which could have been concealed. Success in such interrogation would elude if the accused persons are allowed to appear with a well-protected and insulated pre-arrest bail order".

