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# CBI Books US-Based Christian Missionary Organisation Timothy Initiative and Six Others Over FCRA Violations
- URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/cbi-books-us-based-christian-missionary-organisation-timothy-initiative-and-six-others-over-fcra-violations/
- Published: 2026-09-17T05:55:46.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T09:03:19.000Z
- Description: The CBI has booked US-based Christian missionary group The Timothy Initiative and six people over FCRA violations involving ₹92.55 crore. Investigators say foreign funds were withdrawn through US-issued debit cards at ATMs across India instead of being routed through authorised FCRA channels.
- Author: TGV Desk
- Tags: India, that is Bharat, The Day So Far, geopolitics, has-audio

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered an FIR against US-based Christian missionary organisation The Timothy Initiative and six people linked to its operations in India over alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act involving foreign funds worth about ₹92.55 crore.

The case names Jonathan S. Rajan, Micah Mark, Ajit Verghese Mathai, Varghese Chacko, Bablu Kurmi and Supreme Joy, along with The Timothy Initiative itself. The FIR was registered following a complaint from the Union Home Ministry, which acted on information shared by the Enforcement Directorate after an earlier investigation into the use of foreign bank cards in India.

Investigators allege that funds linked to The Timothy Initiative were withdrawn from ATMs across India using debit cards issued by US lender Truist Bank rather than being received through the designated banking channels required under the FCRA. The ED has said The Timothy Initiative was not registered under the FCRA in India and that the cash was used to meet expenses connected with the organisation’s activities.

> This is how conversions of tribal Hindus are being carried out on a large scale in Jharkhand. [pic.twitter.com/aEOqJnCDoQ](https://t.co/aEOqJnCDoQ?ref=theglobalvoice.com)
> 
> — Team Hindu United (@TeamHinduUnited) [December 6, 2025](https://x.com/TeamHinduUnited/status/1997145459895488583?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=theglobalvoice.com)

According to material cited in a Karnataka High Court proceeding, investigators allege that approximately ₹92.55 crore was used between November 2025 and April 2026\. The same records say more than 1,000 foreign debit cards were allegedly circulated among people in India and that some cards were issued under the generic name “Santosh Kumar” rather than the identities of the individuals using them. The court record also refers to roughly ₹44 crore in withdrawals detected across states including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Assam.

The investigation first drew wider attention after Micah Mark was intercepted at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in April while allegedly carrying 24 foreign debit cards. The ED subsequently conducted searches at six locations and said the cards had been repeatedly used to withdraw money from Indian ATMs. It later shared its findings with other agencies, eventually leading to the CBI case.

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The CBI is now examining how the money was received, withdrawn and ultimately used. The FIR alleges that funds were deployed for missionary activities including training and preaching. Some agency documents also make broader allegations about activities in economically marginalised and Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas, but those claims remain part of the investigation and have not been established by a court.

Investigators have also alleged that digital records connected with the network were remotely deleted after the ED searches, including data stored on cloud systems and a seized laptop. That allegation is also being examined as part of the wider probe.

The Karnataka High Court, while considering petitions connected to the earlier investigation, stressed that the material available at that stage was sufficient to justify continuing the investigation.

The case is likely to intensify an already contentious debate in India over foreign-funded missionary activity and religious conversions, particularly in poorer and tribal communities where allegations of organised proselytisation have repeatedly drawn political and legal scrutiny.