Bengaluru Police have registered an FIR against seven individuals and a US-based organisation following a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which alleged that foreign funds worth Rs 92.55 crore were withdrawn through foreign bank debit cards and used for illegal activities across multiple states.

The case was registered at Kothanur Police Station based on a complaint filed by Sunil Kumar Sinhaar, Assistant Director of the ED in Delhi. Those named in the FIR include Jonathan S. Rajan, Mika Mark, Ajit Varghese Mathai, Varghese Chacko, Bablu Kurmi, Supreme Joy and the US-based organisation Timothy Initiative (TTI).

Foreign debit cards used for cash withdrawals

According to the complaint, the accused allegedly obtained debit cards linked to foreign banks and withdrew Rs 92.55 crore from ATMs across India between 2025 and 2026. Investigators claim the transactions violated provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The probe reportedly began after Mika Mark was detained at Bengaluru airport. During questioning, officials allegedly recovered 24 foreign debit cards from his possession. The ED claims the cards were linked to accounts operated under the name “Santosh Kumar”.

Investigators further alleged that more than 1,000 debit cards were distributed across the country and that original KYC documents were concealed. The complaint also claims data was deleted through overseas servers to destroy evidence.

Suspicious transactions under scanner

The ED has alleged that nearly Rs 44 crore was withdrawn across Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Assam and other states between 2024 and 2026.

Particular attention has been drawn to cash withdrawals in Naxal-affected regions of Chhattisgarh, including Bastar and Dhamtari. Investigators claim around Rs 3.2 crore was withdrawn through 3,200 ATM transactions of Rs 10,000 each.

The complaint further alleges that some of the funds were channelled into training programmes aimed at influencing individuals and activities linked to ideological extremism. Officials have stated that the investigation is continuing and further evidence is being examined