New Delhi: The CBI has arrested home ministry official Anand Joshi, who had disappeared after being summoned by the agency four days back, in connection with a case of allegedly issuing FCRA notices arbitrarily to several NGOs for financial gains.

CBI arrested Anand Joshi after he allegedly gave unconvincing answers to the questions posed by a team of Special Crime division of the CBI, including those related to disappearance of files related to Sabrang Trust of activist Teesta Setalvad.

“The official has been arrested,” CBI Spokesperson Devpreet Singh said.

Joshi, who disappeared on Wednesday morning from his home in Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, was picked up from Tilak Nagar area of West Delhi and taken to the CBI headquarters for questioning.

CBI Spokesperson Devpreet Singh said the CBI was tracking the accused and based on information that he was in the West Delhi area at around 5pm, he was arrested.

“He has been brought to the CBI headquarter and is being questioned about the allegations against him,” she said.

The case was slapped against Joshi and some other unnamed persons for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices and arbitrarily issuing notices to several NGOs, registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which were receiving foreign contributions, including activist Teesta Setalvad's Sabrang Trust.

Joshi has rejected the charge and instead accused his seniors of pressuring him to give a clean chit to the NGOs.

In a note he left before leaving home, Joshi claimed he had been subjected to mental harassment in recent months.

The matter came to light after files pertaining to alleged FCRA violations by two NGOs run by Setalvad went missing from the Home Ministry. The files were traced and restored to the FCRA division, but the CBI was asked to investigate the matter.

It was noticed that the files had gone missing when the Home Ministry took a decision to cancel the FCRA registration of one of Setalvad's NGOs, Sabrang Trust, sources said.

Sabrang Trust's licence was suspended by the MHA on September 9, 2015 for alleged multiple violations of FCRA rules, including misuse of funds for the personal benefit of trustees.