A detailed complaint has been filed by NGO watchdog Legal Rights Protection Forum with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) against the Rural Development Trust (RDT) and its affiliated organisations, namely Rayalaseema Development Trust (RyDT), Women Development Trust (WDT) and Accion Fraterna Trust (AFT), all based in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.
The complaint alleges that these organisations, whose FCRA licences were not renewed, have deliberately provoked large-scale public agitations against the Government of India, thereby escalating a statutory regulatory matter into a serious issue of governance, public order, and national security.
The complaint accuses RDT of orchestrating mass mobilisations that created tense standoffs with law enforcement, particularly at the Anantapur Collectorate, where thousands of people were brought together in coordinated demonstrations. It is alleged that the trust exploited the humanitarian dependence of its beneficiaries, weaponising welfare delivery into a political pressure tool against the State. According to the complaint, what should have been a straightforward case of FCRA compliance has been turned into an organised campaign to undermine statutory processes and coerce the government.
The complaint further claims that RDT engaged in extensive political lobbying, drawing support from MPs, MLAs and local leaders who petitioned central authorities to intervene. Such politicisation of regulatory action, it argues, undermines the rule of law and sets a dangerous precedent where foreign-funded NGOs can hold the State hostage.
Financial irregularities form a major part of the allegations. Official audits and inquiries are said to have confirmed diversion of over ₹26 crore in patient funds to non-FCRA domestic accounts. The organisations allegedly transferred foreign contributions to entities without valid FCRA licences, in violation of Sections 7 and 8 of the FCRA, 2010. The complaint describes RDT’s evolution from a charitable body into a “parallel political force” in Rayalaseema, with its influence over local politics and ability to mobilise vast crowds operating as a shadow governance structure.
Conflict of interest is also cited, pointing to the role of Mr. Moncho Ferrer, a senior RDT executive who simultaneously serves as director of Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA, the primary foreign donor to RDT. This dual role, according to the complaint, violates safeguards against self-dealing. It is further alleged that the four affiliated trusts share office bearers, addresses and donor networks, creating a circular and non-transparent funding mechanism.
The complaint highlights instances where overlapping addresses, identical field offices and project descriptions were used to present the trusts as separate entities, thereby inflating accounts. Women Development Trust, for instance, is accused of raising large foreign funds for hospital expenditure despite not owning or operating hospitals. Reports published by the trusts allegedly reused the same hospital photographs with altered signage, suggesting asset misappropriation. Between 2011 and 2015, Women Development Trust is reported to have received over ₹36 crore in foreign contributions without disclosing donor identities or the purposes of funding, in contravention of Sections 18 and 19 of the FCRA.
The complaint also accuses the trusts of launching a politicised campaign to frame the MHA’s decision as political vendetta, mobilising communist factions and caste-based groups to distort public opinion. It warns of unlawful sharing of sensitive data of minors and beneficiaries — including health, financial and attendance records — with foreign donors, thereby raising concerns about privacy and external influence.
On the international stage, the complaint points to a 2011 TEDx talk where an RDT executive allegedly misrepresented India’s development by portraying the organisation as the sole saviour of marginalised groups, while omitting constitutional safeguards and welfare schemes, thereby undermining democratic institutions and discrediting the State.
The complaint argue that the cumulative effect of these activities represents foreign-driven subversion of India’s internal governance processes. By eroding regulatory authority, creating parallel power structures, and mobilising foreign funds to influence domestic politics, the trusts are said to pose a direct challenge to India’s sovereignty and security.
The complaint urges the MHA to cancel the FCRA registrations of all four trusts, conduct a comprehensive forensic audit and criminal investigation into their finances and office bearers, and ensure that humanitarian dependence is not exploited to subvert legal processes. It concludes that RDT and its affiliates are no longer functioning as charitable organisations but as a coordinated network engaged in financial fraud, regulatory violations and subversive political activity, and therefore decisive action is necessary to protect democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, and safeguard national security.
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