The ED alleged that pastor Ravi Mohan Pahadiya received foreign funds from a US-based donor without FCRA permission and used them for proselytisation activities.

Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 16:12:02 IST

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids on a pastor in Jaipur under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) over the alleged misuse of foreign funds received from a US-based donor for proselytisation and conversion activities among SC-Valmiki and ST-Bhill communities in the city and tribal-dominated South Rajasthan, respectively, the federal agency said on Saturday.

The pastor allegedly received these funds without a Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence or prior permission.

The financial crimes probe agency said in a statement that it had intelligence about the activities of pastor Ravi Mohan Pahadiya, a Protestant missionary affiliated with Hope Ministry, who was allegedly illegally receiving foreign funds to the tune of ₹2.20 crore (approximately), primarily from a US-based donor, Thomas Eugene Lynch.

The funds, the ED added, were meant for “proselytization and conversion activities among SC-Valmiki/ ST-Bhill communities in Jaipur and tribal dominated South Rajasthan respectively.”

“Investigation revealed that Ravi Mohan Pahadiya and his wife Gunjan Sharma received total foreign funds to the tune of Rs. 2.34 Crore (approximately) mainly by showing purpose of business and management consultancy and public relations services and inward remittance from Indian non-residents towards family maintenance and savings, out of which most of the funds was received from Thomas E Lynch, a USA based donor,” the ED said.

It was further revealed that Pahadiya had received total foreign funds worth ₹2.88 crore as donations “without having FCRA permission by misdeclaring the purpose and ultimately used those funds for personal expenses, foreign travels, purchasing of property in his name”.

The agency alleged that Pahadiya is in “regular touch with foreign nationals and engaged in organizing meetings/religious gathering for proselytization activities among the underprivileged/tribal people of various states on their instructions.”

Any individual or organisation receiving foreign funds has to be registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Licences or prior permission to receive and use foreign funds are granted by the foreigners division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The government, in March this year, introduced a new FCRA Bill that vests assets tied to foreign funds with the designated authority. It has been sent to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny.

The MHA separately notified the FCRA Rules, 2026, on June 22. These permit a range of faith-based activities but explicitly exclude proselytisation, and prohibit associations from having foreign nationals — other than those of Indian origin — as key functionaries.

Opposition parties, sections of civil society and religious organisations have argued that the amendments, if cleared, would give the government broad control.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has said that some provisions in the new law and rules “could affect charitable institutions that have served poor and vulnerable communities for decades”.

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