US Christian Missionary Group Accused of Funding Naxalism and Conversions in India

Based on a complaint filed by officials from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), city police have registered a criminal case against US-based Christian missionary organisation The Timothy Initiative.

BENGALURU: Based on a complaint filed by officials from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), city police have registered a criminal case against US-based Christian missionary organisation The Timothy Initiative and six individuals from Bengaluru and other parts of the country on alleged charges of indulging in unlawful activities by funding over Rs 95 crore towards the spread of Naxalism and conversion activities. The complaint was filed by Sunil Kumar Sinhmar from the ED, New Delhi, at Kothanur police station in the northeastern part of the city. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The ED complaint alleges that the accused organisation, Timothy Initiative, bypassed Indian financial regulations and foreign contribution laws by using a network of foreign debit cards. Over 1,000 foreign-issued debit cards were allegedly distributed across India, with multiple cards operating under the name "Santosh Kumar".

Maoist/Naxal links Prima facie evidence revealed that large-scale cash withdrawals were being routed to Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas in states such as Chhattisgarh’s Bastar and Dhamtari districts, a senior police officer told TOI. "Investigators are scrutinising whether these funds were diverted to fuel Naxal operations, conversion activities and other unlawful activities," the officer said.

The accused individuals named in the FIR are Jonathan S. Rajan from Glorio Apartments, Doddagubbi Road; Ajit Verghese Mathai from Kothanur; Micah Mark of Yadava Layout (intercepted at Bengaluru airport with 24 foreign debit cards); Supreme Joy from Mysuru; Varghese Chacko from Chhattisgarh; and Bablu Kurmi from Assam. The FIR additionally alleges the destruction of electronic evidence, specifically claiming that a backend database account was deleted by one of the accused to conceal financial tracking.