Bengaluru, 15th June : A case has been registered against a US-based organisation and six individuals following a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging illegal utilisation of foreign funds through a network of debit cards, including in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas. Based on a complaint filed by ED assistant director Sunil Kumar Sinhmar, Kothanur police in Bengaluru registered an FIR on June 11 under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The FIR names Jonathan S. Rajan, Micah Mark, Ajit Verghese Mathai, Varghese Chacko, Bablu Kurmi, Supreme Joy and US-based organisation The Timothy Initiative as accused. According to the complaint, searches conducted on April 18 and 19 under the Income-Tax Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) revealed that the accused, in association with the organisation, used foreign-origin debit cards issued by a US bank to withdraw and utilise funds across India.
The ED alleged that about Rs 92.55 crore ($99,95,240) was used over six months from November 2025 to April 2026 in violation of FEMA and FCRA provisions. The FIR stated that Micah Mark was detained at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on April 18 and was allegedly found carrying 24 foreign debit cards. It added that over 1,000 such cards had been distributed across the country, many bearing the name “Santosh Kumar” with regional identifiers.
The agency further alleged that suspicious withdrawals were traced to LWE-affected areas in Chhattisgarh, including Dhamtari and Bastar, where about Rs 6.34 crore is estimated to have been withdrawn over the past few years. The complaint said the pattern of withdrawals indicated an organised network and alleged that funds were channelled into Naxalite-influenced regions, constituting unlawful activity under the UAPA.
It also alleged destruction of electronic evidence, stating that Micah Mark admitted to deleting his account from a backend system, citing supporting material attached to the complaint. According to the ED, Ajit Verghese Mathai handled financial operations of the organisation in India, while Jonathan S. Rajan oversaw its activities. Funds withdrawn through the debit cards were allegedly used for its programmes across the country. The FIR invokes charges including criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents and electronic records, engaging in unlawful activities, and conspiracy to commit terrorist acts under the UAPA. The allegations in the FIR are those of the complainant agency and remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny.
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