India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—An amount of Rs. 8 crore in cash is reported to have been recovered from different premises of the Kerala-based Believers Eastern Church headed by Christian evangelist K P Yohannan.
The raids were conducted by Income Tax department on Thursday and Friday in Kerala and other places in the country, on the allegation that funds collected for charity purposes were being diverted for religious purposes.
Reports reaching here said that the Union Home Ministry had cancelled the FCRA account of Believers Eastern Church after discovery that the Church was diverting funds for religious purposes though it was collected for charity activities. According to reports, even after cancellation of its FCRA, the Church collected funds through other trusts and using the money for religious and other purposes.
Sharing information with mediapersons, I-T officials said that the Church had got about Rs. 4,000 crores over the last several years and most of it was invested in real estate and on construction of buildings for institutions.
I-T sources told mediapersons that funds meant for charity was spent for running Chruches which is nothing but religious activitity. Around Rs. 1,000 crore was spent in real estate development.
