The Home Ministry has given two weeks more to Lawyers Collective, run by Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising, to reply to the questionnaire sent by it seeking information on alleged violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act by the NGO.
"We have extended the period of time by two weeks to reply to the questionnaire sent to the Lawyers Collective," a Home Ministry official said.
The NGO was supposed to sent its reply by December 7.
According to the official, Lawyers Collective had allegedly received foreign contribution between 2006-07 and 2013-14 and the Home Ministry reportedly found discrepancy in the filing of annual returns of the NGO.
Jaising, who had served as Additional Solicitor General in UPA government, is the secretary of Lawyers Collective.
On behalf of Lawyers Collective and Jaising, a statement was issued immediately after the notice was sent by the Home Ministry last month.
The statement said it had received a letter requesting them to answer a "standard questionnaire". "We are in the process of replying by December 7," it had said.
Jaising had said, "I am indeed surprised that the notice seems to have been released to the press, even before it is served on Lawyers Collective or me or before I or the Lawyers Collective have had an opportunity to respond to it.
"I am constrained to come to the conclusion that this is an exercise in creating a negative public perception about me and the Lawyers Collective and not about the alleged violations of law."
In the statement, she had expressed hope that the government will follow the legal route, rather than use the press to "achieve extraneous aims".
"I, therefore, request that you refrain from issuing copies of alleged notices, which are meant for me or the Lawyers Collective, to the press and observe due process of law," Jaising had said.
Lawyers Collective has its registered office in Mumbai.
