Enforcement Directorate Flags FCRA Violations Against TTI, Seeks CBI Probe

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate will share its findings with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) asking it to register a case against the Timothy Initiative for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), officials said"In view of the nature of the offences disclosed, specifically the systematic routing of foreign funds into LWE/Naxalite-affected areas, the destruction of digital evidence, and the involvement of a foreign organisation operating through a network of shell entities, the information shall also be shared with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for appropriate action under the applicable provisions of law, including the FCRA, 2010, the UAPA, 1967, and the BNS, 2023," officials said.

Earlier this year, the Financial Intelligence Unit–India (FIU-IND) alerted law enforcement agencies to a unique modus operandi involving the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds in India through the use of foreign bank debit cards issued by Truist Bank, USA, bypassing prescribed banking and regulatory channels.

The input indicated that repeated cash withdrawals were being made from ATMs in India, typically in the range of Rs 70,000–80,000 at intervals of two to three days across multiple states. Two FIRs have already been registered against the Timothy Initiative and individuals associated with it under provisions of the UAPA in Karnataka and Chhattisgarh. The Karnataka High Court, on Wednesday, dismissed a petition seeking the quashing of the FIR registered under the UAPA against the Timothy Initiative and others. The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate."This is not a case warranting exercise of inherent jurisdiction to nip the crime in the bud. The case concerns national security. National security is the invisible architecture upon which the sovereignty, stability and constitutional order of a nation rest. One of the gravest threats to national security in the present times is the clandestine funding of extremism. Funding, therefore, becomes the oxygen that enables extremist movements to survive and proliferate. The danger of extremist financing lies not merely in the money transferred, but in the consequences it unleashes. Left unchecked, such funding can transform ideological extremism into organised violence, threatening national unity and public safety," Justice Nagaprasanna said.Officials said TTI has distributed more than 1,000 such cards in India since 2019."Evidence revealed that expenses in excess of Rs 95 crore have been incurred by TTI in India. Data obtained from QuickBooks.com (the accounting software used by TTI) during search proceedings—confirmed by Micah Mark—reflects payments of approximately US$9,995,240 to the top 15 vendors during November 2025 to April 2026, representing a 149% increase over the previous year," officials said.