Foreign funding of ₹92 crore revealed for Naxalite activities. On the complaint of ED, Bengaluru Police has registered an FIR under UAPA against the American organization TTI and 7 people. ₹44 crore withdrawn from illegal debit cards.
Bangalore : A sensational case of funding of Rs 92 crore from abroad has come to light to promote Naxalite activities in India. In this case, on the complaint of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bengaluru Police has registered an FIR against an American Christian missionary organization and 7 people. Four people from Karnataka are also included among the accused.
A case has been registered against an American organization named ‘The Timothy Initiative’ (TTI) at Kottanur Police Station in Bengaluru. Apart from this, Jonathan S. of Bengaluru. Rajan, Mika Mark, Ajit Varghese Mathai, Supreme Joy of Mysore, Varghese Chacko of Chhattisgarh and Bablu Kurmi of Assam have also been made accused. Police have registered a case against all of them under UAPA and Indian Justice Code (BNS) on charges of conspiracy, fraud and making fake documents and started investigation.
Rs 44 crore were withdrawn
This whole matter came to light when ED took a major action in April this year. The investigation had revealed the use of illegal foreign funds worth more than Rs 95 crore. Investigation revealed that more than one thousand foreign debit cards of America’s Truist Bank in the name ‘Santosh Kumar’ were illegally distributed in India. These cards were used in states like Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Assam and about Rs 44 crore were withdrawn.
The web of shell companies also came to light
24 foreign debit cards were found from Mika Mark, one of the accused. Investigation revealed that these cards were used for suspicious activities in Naxal affected areas of Chhattisgarh. At the same time, during the interrogation of another accused Ajit Varghese, transactions of shell companies running in Bengaluru were also revealed. Some of the money transactions took place in Kottanur area of Bengaluru, hence an FIR has been registered in the police station here.
Money was used for terrorism training
Investigations have also revealed that this illegal money withdrawn from ATMs was being used across India to fund TTI’s activities, such as sermons and Left Wing Extremism training. At present, a police team led by an ACP is investigating the matter, which will submit its report to the ED.
How did this whole matter unfold?
On April 18 this year, a man named Mika Mark was detained at the Kempegowda International Airport. 24 foreign debit cards of Truist Bank were found from him. Investigation revealed that he came to India several times and every time he brought foreign debit cards with him. He looked after the main work of money transactions for TTI in India. ‘Santosh Kumar’ (an anonymous name) was written on all these cards. He was hiding the original documents at the behest of accused Ajit Varghese. He had distributed more than 1000 such fake debit cards in India.
To destroy the evidence, the accused deleted the data on the cloud app from TTI’s American server through remote access. Additionally, he also deleted the bank accounts. He had also made cash transactions worth Rs 6.34 crore in Naxal affected areas. According to officials, the accused have used illegal money totaling more than Rs 95 crore.