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Rs 7.5 crore or Rs 200 crore? What is the alleged Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation scam? From cash counting to SIT probe, all you need to know

Shraddha Pandey
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Rs 7.5 crore or Rs 200 crore? What is the alleged Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation scam? From cash counting to SIT probe, all you need to know

In early June 2026, a controversy erupted over alleged embezzlement of funds and valuables from daily chadhava or donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya. While the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple, has denied any mismanagement, over 50 employees linked to the temple management have come under scrutiny.

Donations, 50 employees and embezzlement: Inside the alleged Rs 200 crore Ram Mandir chadhava scam

Consecrated in January 2024, the Ayodhya Ram Mandir attracts lakhs of devotees every year. These devotees donate cash, gold, silver, and ornaments through hundi boxes installed inside the temple. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust handles collection, counting, accounting, and utilisation for the temple’s management and related activities.

For daily cash handling, the temple trust deploys its staff along with those hired via private agencies. These employees are tasked with counting notes, preparing bundles, and maintaining records. There are handling processes for ornaments, etc. According to the Temple Trust, regular internal audits are conducted to maintain transparency.

The allegations of ‘chadhava chori’ or chadhava scam at Ayodhya Ram Mandir were first highlighted by local media. The matter gained political traction on 7th June 2026 after Samajwadi Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav cited media reports of crores in unaccounted donations and called for judicial intervention. Alarming claims emerged about alleged discrepancies in donation collections, sudden wealth accumulation by several low-paid counting staff, and possible missing funds.

“This is an extremely sensitive piece of news for devotees of Lord Ram across the entire world: crores of rupees in offerings to the ‘Ram Mandir’ have been found missing. This is an utterly shameful situation for the temple trust. No one is coming forward to offer any explanation. There is a demand for the court to take suo motu cognisance, as this is directly linked to the deep faith in Lord Ram held by the entire Sanatan society at a global level. The government’s silence is suspicious,” Akhilesh Yadav posted on X on 7th June.

Two days later, Akhilesh Yadav shot a series of questions regarding what he described as “Chadhava Chori Kaand”.

It has been alleged that cores of rupees from daily cash offerings or chadhava were siphoned by temple management insiders. While initially it was claimed that the alleged unaccounted donations ranged from Rs 5 to 7.5 crores, media reports now claim that the missing funds exceed the Rs 200 crore estimates.

Reports claim that since around 2020-21, some cash-counting staff hired through a private agency recorded lower amounts in vouchers than actually collected.

Moreover, there have been alleged discrepancies in the record of donated ornaments. Over ten chest boxes of gold, silver, and jewellery were allegedly removed without conducting proper accounting.

Dharmsena founder Santosh Dubey has claimed that 1,250 Ram stones or Ram Shila, made of gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, and eight metals, which were brought to Ayodhya in 1989 after being worshipped from villages, cities, and the country and abroad, have now “disappeared.”

While the venerated clay shilas or stones remain at Karsevakpuram, the metal stones are allegedly missing. Dharamsena founder Santosh Dubey has highlighted that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Trust’s general secretary, Champat Rai, was also responsible for the care of the gold and silver stones.

Speaking to Dainik Bhaskar, Dubey made a sensational claim that theft of temple-related precious stones and other objects had been ongoing since 1989. He explicitly named Champat Rai and said, “Champat Rai played a role in this. It is claimed that Paramahamsa Ramchandra Das fell ill from this shock and died two years later. Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti was unable to speak out due to fear. This clearly shows that the theft of gold and silver donated in the name of the Shri Ram Temple began not today, but as early as 1989.”

Allegedly, CCTV footage covering periods of several months, from cash-counting areas, has been deleted, further raising suspicion of a cover-up.

Named in the media as the whistleblower of the alleged Ram Mandir Chadhava/donation scam, Mahipal Singh, who claims to be the Shri Ram Temple’s former accounts-in-charge, alleged that the theft of temple donations has been ongoing for quite some time. He claimed to have reported the matter to Champat Rai and other Trust members; however, he claimed that Champat Rai removed him from his post the very next day. Singh also claimed that CCTV footage from the temple premises dating back eight months was deleted.

What further intensified suspicions of an alleged donation embezzlement was the disproportionate assets of temple staffers. Some of the low-paid staff members allegedly acquired huge properties, expensive vehicles, and businesses far beyond their known income of Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000. Two of the temple employees under police investigation are reported to have recently bought land worth Rs 1.5 crore, while the other had purchased a plot worth Rs 40 lakh.

There are also claims of deliberate mishandling, cover-up, ignored complaints, and involvement of temple staff, including cash-counting staff, supervisors, and some others in the financial chain, including bank teams.

Overall, around 50 employees, cash counters, temple Trust staff, and bank/audit personnel have come under police investigation.

How donations are collected and counted at Ayodhya Shri Ram Mandir

For collecting the offerings made in the ‘Daan Patra’ or donation boxes, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has installed four hundi boxes at specific locations in front of the Ram temple and along the entire darshan route. Devotees arriving at the temple deposit desired amounts in these donation boxes daily.

The Ram Mandir Trust has authorised the State Bank of India to count cash. The SBI has outsourced the counting job to a private agency. Since its consecration on 22nd January 2024, Ram Mandir has received massive donations from Ram Bhakts around the world. On the first few days of its public opening, the temple received around Rs 11 crore in donations, averaging nearly Rs 1 crore per day.

As per the annual report released in September 2025, the temple Trust reported annual earnings of nearly Rs 327 crore during FY 2024-25. While donation offerings contributed Rs 153 crore, interest income accounted for Rs 173 crore.

It is notable here that the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple has consistently attracted Hindus from around the world, reporting a record number of devotee footfalls every year since its opening in 2024.

Champat Rai denies chadhava chori allegations, UP government forms SIT

Reacting to the allegations regarding missing Rs 7 crore, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai has categorically rejected these claims. He maintains that there have been no irregularities in fund management and no missing amounts have been detected during the internal audit.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into claims that a part of the donations received at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya cannot be accounted for.

“The trust sought a thorough inquiry, calling it necessary to check misinformation and bring out the truth, alleging that attempts were being made to tarnish the image of the Ram temple and hurt the faith of millions of devotees,” the state government said.

The SIT has been directed to submit a preliminary report within seven days, while a detailed final report is expected within 15 days. According to official sources, the panel includes Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan.

The decision to set up the SIT was taken after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust approached Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and requested an independent inquiry. The trust said an official investigation was needed to establish the facts and clear up what it described as misleading claims regarding temple donations.

The issue gained attention after leaders of the Samajwadi Party raised questions about the money collected through donation boxes at the Ram Mandir. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey claimed that an amount between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore was missing from the donations received by the temple.

Recently, the UP Police SIT arrested cash-counting staff member Lavkush Mishra, following the recovery of unexplained cash and suspicious property purchases. Mishra was arrested after police recovered Rs 10 lakh from his house. Some of the cash stash was hidden under cow dung. The investigators initiated action against Lavkush Mishra after an internal audit and noticed his suspicious conduct during a CCTV footage analysis.

While the Trust denies its direct involvement in any wrongdoing, BJP veterans like Vinay Katiyar have demanded a thorough investigation, stern action against the ‘chanda chors’, and also stated that the donation theft is a betrayal of decades of devotion.

Meanwhile, a public interest litigation has been moved before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. The PIL seeks a CBI-led, court-monitored probe into the alleged fiscal irregularities in Shri Ram Mandir donations. Advocate Mohit Ashok has demanded a time-bound investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Ram Mandir donations, including cash and gold or silver offerings.

Amidst the probe, allegations, counter-allegations, politics, and PILs, BJP leader Rajneesh Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking public disclosure of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust’s finances, assets, donations, expenditures, bank accounts and land transactions.

Rahul Gandhi is not concerned about students, but trying to fuel his failed politics: Read how he tried to sabotage the NEET controversy, Kota trip and more

Rukma Rathore
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Rahul Gandhi is not concerned about students, but trying to fuel his failed politics: Read how he tried to sabotage the NEET controversy, Kota trip and more

A national outcry erupted after two massive, interconnected crises shook the Indian education system. NEET (UG) examination which was held on 3rd May for aspirants desiring admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses had to be entirely cancelled after allegations of paper leak.

A handwritten “guess paper” with about 410 questions, including a series of 281 questions, was disseminated among students through Telegram groups, WhatsApp and coaching networks, especially in Sikar of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand’s Dehradun and other coaching hotspots prior to the exam date. There were nearly 120-140 questions, mostly from Biology and Chemistry that matched the exam paper exactly or extremely closely.

A few weeks after the row, discrepancies were discovered in the evaluation of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 answer sheets conducted via the first-ever On-Screen Marking (OSM) system alongside mismatched digital answer books, blurred scanning quality, technical obstructions, security vulnerabilities and other similar complaints.

The government encountered criticism and took proactive measures to address the submissions, initiating actions to prevent such occurrences in the future. The grievances were acknowledged and addressed. Likewise, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry was ordered in relation to the medical entrance exam. Multiple arrests were made as action was taken against the accused. Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft and helicopters were used to deliver test papers.

Strict accountability was imposed by the Supreme Court, which instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to create systemic protections throughout the entire examination procedure. An expert committee headed by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan was also formed to look into the lapses, and 21st June had been set for re-examination.

Furthermore, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports was scheduled to discuss the issues pertaining to the education system, including NEET (UG) paper leak, reforms in examination and assessment practices of CBSE.

A one-person team led by S Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission was founded by the centre to review procurement-related irregularities related to OSM system. The committee has one month to turn in its report. CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta had been ousted, and cybersecurity agencies have been recruited to keep an eye out for any assaults on the re-evaluation website.

Rahul Gandhi seizes the opportunity to politicise the matter

While steps were being taken to help the students and alleviate their concerns, the opposition decided to take advantage of this critical situation to advance its political narrative. Rahul Gandhi claimed that CBSE awarded the contract to a dubious company, Coempt Eduteck Private Limited, in Hyderabad which handled the on-screen marking process and declared, “This isn’t a mistake, it’s a deliberate conspiracy.”

The charge was referred to as “erroneous, misleading and not based on facts,” by the board which emphasised that the contract was only granted in accordance with government procurement regulations. However, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha maintained his stance and doubled down on the assertion. He has perfected the art of peddling agenda for his political interests, and he is employing the same tactics in the current circumstances.

The Gandhi scion recently met with Sarthak Sidhant, a 12th grade student from Ranchi and his partner Nisarga Adhikary, who revealed the supposed anomalies in the CBSE’s OSM tender mechanism. However, the conversation that should have adhered to the relevant topic soon shifted into a session for attacking the government.

“Sarthak and his partner Nisarga did what the country’s big media houses and investigative journalists couldn’t. They exposed the collusion between CBSE and Coempt to the nation. Modi wants our youth to keep making reels, keep frying pakoras, not raise enquiries and not open their eyes,” the parliamentarian wrote on social media.

Gandhi further announced, “However, these kids asked questions, and they found the answers too. The country’s 18-year-old kid outpaced the CBI – this victory of the youth is truly the government’s defeat. This is India’s real youth power – curious, aware, informed. And remember, the country’s future won’t fall for any deception.”

He asked why the “decision-makers” in the country did not identify the “loophole in the system” as an 18-year-old Sarthak had and failed to prioritise providing a fair platform for students. He then insisted that framework of Indian education “systematically attempts to stifle curiosity and discourages questioning.”

Gandhi then contended that Sarthak had to carry out the work of an investigative journalist. He remarked that the latter are hired, paid and have numerous years of experience, yet did not execute their duties. The Rae Bareli MP even accused that the lives of thousands of students have been ruined.

It is noteworthy that Sarthak gave a presentation before the aforementioned Parliamentary Standing Committee which looked into the difficulties owing to the OSM system. CBSE officials also assured that the challenges related to the re-evaluation portal had been fixed and students had sufficient time to enter applications using the site.

Gandhi held a similar meeting with Class 12 student Vedant Shrivastava, whose post went viral after he got the wrong answer sheet from CBSE. The former invoked “George Soros and deep state” in an attempt to mock these labels. However, he has repeatedly faced grave allegations regarding his connections with the anti-India Hungarian American billionaire.

The matters brought forth by the students demand careful consideration and prompt remedies. However, Gandhi’s goal seems to be turning their troubles into a political smear campaign against the central government to collect brownie points rather than providing any viable relief. He has regularly demonstrated a tendency to leverage these instances for his own benefit.

A campaign is launched in Kota

Gandhi is going to launch a campaign against the BJP government in the ensuing weeks and months. On 17th June (Wednesday), a demonstration called “The echo of students (Chhatron Ki Goonj)” will commence in Kota of Rajasthan, with plans to engage students in many locations.

The former Indian National Congress chief will board the Jan Shatabdi Express from the Hazrat Nizamuddin station in Delhi to land at his destination. The following conventions will take place on 10th July in Prayagraj, 11th July in Patna and 14th July in Delhi “bringing together students, aspirants, youth organisations, educators and all those directly affected by examination scandals.”

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal stressed that the party would reinforce Gandhi’s call to mobilise students through widespread outreach by the NSUI (National Students Union of India), Youth Congress, PCCs (Pradesh Congress Committees), DCCs (District Congress Committees) and local units nationally as part of this mission. On 15th June (Monday), the latter held meetings with leaders of the NSUI and the Youth Congress.

Venugopal outlined, “Physical and digital invitations, campus outreach, interactions at coaching centres, universities, schools, and youth hubs, social media campaigns, live screenings, and direct engagement with students will be undertaken on a massive scale.”

He added that the movement will highlight Gandhi’s earlier demands, including decentralisation of NEET, elimination of exam fees, tough legal action against those responsible for paper leak rackets and responsibility at the highest levels of government along with the removal of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The announcement’s timing aligns with the Cockroach Janta Party’s protests demanding the resignation of Pradhan. The grand old party clearly does not want to relinquish the narrative to this fresh online entity. The intent is evidently far removed from any concern for students and is more focused on strengthening the party’s position for electoral success. The selection of Kota popularly known as the “Coaching Capital of India” for this agitation further illustrates the objectives that underpin this endeavour of Congress.

Conclusion

Gandhi has consistently dragged the education sector and students to target the Modi government. He argued that the National Education Policy 2020 was enacted without consulting teachers and students. He also accused that the NEET (UG) was tailored for affluent students and was more of a “commercial exam” instead of “professional.” He has been exposed many times yet spares no effort in manipulating the future of the country for his political ambitions.

Gandhi has even infused caste politics and his resistance to Hindutva into educational institutions, in a desperate bid to turn the temple of learning into his political arena. Moreover, he has made unauthorised visits to universities and disrupted the students in his attempts to sway them towards his party, as the underlying aim of all his actions is rooted in self-interest.

He interacts with these young individuals because they are either adults or on the verge of adulthood, portraying his party as a champion of their rights and interests while slamming the policies of BJP as harmful. Therefore, it is clear that Gandhi’s current antics are also derived from the same strategy. He perceives the ongoing upheaval as a chance for him to save his declining political prospects.

It is indisputable that the hardships experienced by students must be put to an end and accountability needs to be enforced. However, politicising it might offer some relief to the ambitions of a struggling Congress but will not serve the interests of the affected community.

Maulana Izhar-Ul-Haq, Faraz, Naeem and Shakir arrested: Inside the ATS crackdown on multi-state ‘Lone Wolf’ radicalisation module linked to Pakistan

Jinit Jain
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Maulana Izhar-Ul-Haq, Faraz, Naeem and Shakir arrested: Inside the ATS crackdown on multi-state ‘Lone Wolf’ radicalisation module linked to Pakistan

What began with a covert arrest in the congested lanes of Old Bhopal has rapidly expanded into a multi-state counter-terror investigation, leading security agencies from Madhya Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. Investigators now believe they may have uncovered a radicalisation network that operated largely online, with suspected links to handlers based across the border.

The latest breakthrough came on Monday when a joint team of the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Bihar ATS arrested Maulana Izhar-Ul-Haq from Bihar’s Madhubani district. The arrest has added a new dimension to the probe, with investigators suspecting that the madrasa teacher may have played a central role in the network.

Authorities claim Izhar-Ul-Haq, a resident of Nautol Sarisabpali village under Pandaul police station limits, was more than just another member of the group under investigation. ATS officials suspect he acted as the “Amir”, the ideological guide and coordinator responsible for identifying, mentoring and influencing recruits across multiple states.

According to investigators, Izhar maintained communication with overseas handlers and was tasked with expanding the network’s reach, rebuilding dormant cells and facilitating coordination among individuals who were often separated by hundreds of kilometres and, in many cases, had never met in person.

The arrest was carried out under tight secrecy. Soon after he was taken into custody, a local court granted ATS teams a 72-hour transit remand, allowing them to shift him to Madhya Pradesh for sustained interrogation.

Officials believe his questioning could provide critical insights into how the network functioned. Investigators are particularly keen to understand the methods used to identify vulnerable individuals, the process through which recruits were influenced, and the role played by online platforms in spreading extremist ideology.

What triggered the investigation?

The investigation first gained momentum on June 12 when the Madhya Pradesh ATS arrested Mohd Faraz, 35, during a covert operation near Nanhe Bee’s Mosque in Bhopal’s Qazi Camp area.

Faraz, who worked at a doctor’s clinic, soon emerged as the focal point of the investigation. Officials allege that he had been consuming extremist content disseminated through encrypted digital channels and had become increasingly influenced by radical propaganda.

During the examination of his electronic devices, investigators reportedly recovered digital literature and other material that raised security concerns. Agencies also began probing whether Faraz was operating independently or as part of a larger network extending beyond state boundaries.

The investigation intensified further after intelligence inputs suggested that Faraz was preparing to travel to Afghanistan for specialised training. Officials also discovered that he had reportedly been undergoing martial arts training, a development investigators considered significant while assessing his activities.

Naeem Abdullah Qureshi’s role under scanner

The probe soon led investigators to Uttar Pradesh.

A day after Faraz’s arrest, ATS teams detained Naeem Abdullah Qureshi, 38, from Nanauta in Saharanpur district. According to investigators, Naeem and Faraz had studied together at a madrasa in Deoband, and officials suspect their association played a role in connecting Faraz to the network.

Security agencies are examining information suggesting that Naeem shared photographs and videos of locations in Uttar Pradesh with contacts believed to be operating from Pakistan. The purpose and significance of those exchanges remain under investigation.

Officials have also established that Naeem travelled to Bhopal on at least one or two occasions and had personally met Faraz, despite investigators claiming that most members of the network remained connected only through digital platforms.

Mohammad Shakir Mev Arrested in Rajasthan

The investigation widened further when ATS teams, working alongside Rajasthan Police, arrested Mohammad Shakir Mev, 34, from Alwar district near the Rajasthan-Haryana border.

By this stage, investigators had begun viewing the case as a potentially organised module rather than a collection of isolated individuals. The subsequent arrest of Izhar-Ul-Haq has strengthened suspicions that the network may have had a structured leadership hierarchy.

Digital evidence becomes key focus

Much of the investigation now revolves around digital forensic analysis. Officials claim that mobile phones and electronic devices recovered from the accused contain evidence of encrypted communications, extremist propaganda and interactions with individuals located outside India.

Investigators are examining suspected links to phone numbers based in Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with activity across messaging platforms and closed online groups.

According to ATS sources, forensic examination of Faraz’s mobile phone has yielded important leads. Investigators suspect he used specialised applications to communicate with foreign contacts while avoiding conventional surveillance methods.

Officials further claim that Faraz had been assigned the operational alias “Khalid Saifullah”, a name associated with a slain Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba operative accused in multiple attacks in India. Investigators are examining whether the use of the alias was intended to create ideological appeal among recruits.

‘Lone Wolf’ radicalisation strategy

Security agencies increasingly believe the network may have been promoting a “lone wolf” model of radicalisation, a strategy in which individuals are influenced online, guided remotely and encouraged to act independently rather than as part of a traditional terror cell.

Investigators claim members of the network were exposed to extremist videos, propaganda material and content glorifying armed jihad. Agencies are also examining allegations that photographs and videos from locations in India were shared with overseas contacts.

Officials say such models present unique challenges for law enforcement because individuals often operate independently, maintain limited physical contact with one another and leave fewer traces of organisational activity.

Questions investigators are seeking to answer

Despite the series of arrests, investigators say several crucial questions remain unresolved.

Who was directing the network from abroad? How extensive was its reach within India? How many individuals may have come into contact with the module? And were any of the accused close to translating ideology into action?

With Maulana Izhar-Ul-Haq, Mohd Faraz, Naeem Abdullah Qureshi and Mohammad Shakir Mev now under the scanner, security agencies believe the coming days could prove decisive in determining the scale and structure of what they describe as a pan-India radicalisation network that operated largely out of public view.

Analyst Lauren Balik found dead in New York: From vilifying Hindus and Hindutva to asking users to curse Lord Vishnu, a look at her anti-India propaganda

Shraddha Pandey
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Analyst Lauren Balik found dead in New York: From vilifying Hindus and Hindutva to asking users to curse Lord Vishnu, a look at her anti-India propaganda

Lauren Balik, a New York City-based equities analyst, short seller, and notorious Hinduphobe, was reported dead on 11th June 2026. Hikers found Balik’s dead body on a trail in Camp Hero State Park in New York’s Montauk. The local police arrived at the scene, and it was confirmed that the deceased was Lauren Balik. The cause of her death remains unclear, and no foul play has been suspected so far.

“On June 11, 2026, at approximately 1:42 p.m., the New York State Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to Montauk Point East Overlook, Camp Hero State Park, Montauk, New York, for reports of a deceased body. Upon arrival, Investigators located a deceased body, later identified as Lauren Balik, age 35, of New York City. This investigation is still ongoing,” the NY Police said.

As the news of the demise of Lauren Balik surfaced online, many people brought up Balik’s old hateful and Hinduphobic X posts.

From mocking Nikita Bier to peddling anti-Hindu hate: Who was Steven Charles, aka Lauren Balik

Born in 1990, Lauren Balik worked as a data professional, short seller, equities analyst, Substack writer, and conspiracy theorist. She also ran an X account with over 33,000 followers. Balik publicly presented as Lauren Balik (female), although her birth/legal name was Steven Charles Balik (male). Local media reports hint at a possible detransition in the days before Balik’s death.

Steven Balik, aka Lauren Balik, was embroiled in many controversies online.

In September 2025, Lauren Balik published an X post mocking X’s product head Nikita Bier’s dead father. She wrote, “His dad was like 60 when he had Nikita. Weak sperm.”

Fast forward to 15th June 2026, Nikita Bier announced that he will be ‘dancing’ on Lauren Balik’s grave. “This person danced on my dead father’s grave. So I will be doing the same on his,” Bier wrote.

In response to a reply, Bier recalled how Steven/Lauren Balik peddled a conspiracy theory that Nikita Bier was a Mossad agent, and said, “Let me abundantly clear: This person started a conspiracy theory that I was a Mossad agent, triggering a wave of mentally ill people sending death threats and showing up at my house. Not every passing is worthy of mourning.”

Steven, aka Lauren Balik, peddled conspiracy theories and hatred against Indian Americans, particularly Hindus, and Hindutva.

Balik’s X profile is replete with replies, quote-posts and standalone commentary on immigration policy, H1-B visas, and targeted Indian diaspora in the US.

In December 2024, Steven Balik published an X post, in which she claimed that “Hindutva says the Indian male, of high caste, must be above all else, by his birthright.”

“What makes America great is that our country tolerates and respects, in general, all different cultures. Hindutva is not this. Hindutva says the Indian male, of high caste, must be above all else, by his birthright. This rot pervades many tech companies. In fact, it’s often something I look for in researching businesses that are great short-term candidates,” she wrote.

She further claimed that Hindutva nationalists were importing upper-caste Hindu male supremacy into the US IT companies, leading to inefficiency, favouritism, discrimination against women, non-Hindus, especially Muslims.

“When Hindutva nationalism takes over, management has lost. The Hindutva business-inside-the-business has taken over. All the DEI stuff allows for this because White Americans don’t want to rock the boat and discipline Hindutvas until the last possible minute, even though the Hindutvas have long taken over by this point. Has your business been taken over by Hindutva nationalists? It’s easy to tell. 1) Analyse JIRA (or whatever) tickets and organise the requester by race and gender. If your IT team takes 5x-10x as long to complete requests for women, Muslims, and non-Hindus as it takes them to complete requests for Hindus, your business has likely been taken over by Hindutvas,” Balik added.

“Ask yourself, if you’re a woman or a non-Hindu minority, do you have to have a chaperone, a Hindu or White man, with you when you make requests of your IT team? If you have to have chaperones act as go-betweens for you to make requests of IT, but Hindus or White men can ask once and be serviced immediately without friction, your business has likely been taken over by Hindutva nationalists. They run your business now, and it’s up to you to decide whether it’s salvageable. Most businesses in the small-cap/mid-cap range that are taken over by Hindutvas at far too small a size are absolutely tasty, fantastic short candidates because the business is no longer about being a business but about making a business-inside-the-business,” Balik continued.

In September 2025, Steven, aka Lauren Balik, concocted a ‘Hindu sexual harassment’ bogey and wrote, “Now that the H-1Bs are getting the boot, can we finally talk about how the Susan Fowler #MeToo movement was started by Hindu sexual harassment? The Indian caste system can’t work for American companies.”

It is essential to note that there was no religiously motivated ‘Hindu sexual harassment’ angle in Susan Fowler’s 2017 Uber harassment case.

In March 2025, when Indians were at the receiving end of an online hate campaign by the MAGA base in the context of H1-B visas, Lauren Balik had gleefully supported and contributed to the online vitriol. She even peddled the classic Muslim victimhood bogey that in India’s BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, houses were being bulldozed based on religion.

In March 2025, Steven Balik published a post wherein she declared Hindu men as sexist and racist across tech. She claimed that Hindu men resort to stonewalling women and hold discriminatory views about Muslims.

“Go on, $HIMS. Make a profile. It’s nothing but Hindu guys with random medical degrees from weird colleges in the Caribbean. Also, Hindu men (not all, obviously) tend to be the most racist and sexist people across tech. Stonewalling women won’t respond to an email from a woman or a Muslim person, etc. I did this for a decade and got out. The sad part is, every person from India who is glad to be in the US and doesn’t take part in this nonsense is embarrassed by it. All this BJP hysteria has gotten out of hand in the US corporate world in the last 5-10 years,” Balik wrote.

Steven, aka Lauren Balik, has also published several posts indulging in caste, cultural, and racist mockery.

She also peddled lies about Hindu American doctors.

Besides, Balik happened to have stronger opinions about Indian politics than one would expect from foreigners. She peddled propaganda against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In one such post, she claimed that “India has the Bulldozer Baba who screams at political rallies and gets fanatical Hindus riled up to commit violence against Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, even non-religious people.”

In December 2024, Balik wanted Indians, especially Hindus, to celebrate a “Thank-a-Mughal Day”, saying that Islamic fanatic invaders enriched India architecturally. Although Balik did not mention anything about the killings, rapes, and brutalities inflicted on Hindus, Sikhs, and other local communities out of sheer hatred for Kafirs.

“Happy Thank-a-Mughal Day: December 28th! India is home to some of the world’s most beautiful Muslim architecture, built under the leadership of the Muslim Mughals, who conquered the Hindus and ruled much of India for hundreds of years. Of course, everyone knows the Taj Mahal, but beautiful Muslim architecture abounds in India, from the Agra Red Fort to the Tomb of Humayun. Naturally, the Hindutva nationalists can’t stand the fact that India was conquered by the Muslim Mughals hundreds of years ago (and the Muslim Delhi Sultanate before that). They are trying to rewrite history and claim that the Taj Mahal is actually a Hindu temple to Shiva called the “Tejo Mahalaya” and that the Muslim Mughals stole it from the Hindus. They try this every few years. You can’t make this stuff up! Happy Thank-a-Mughal Day!”

In many of her quotes and replies, Lauren labelled Sriram Krishnan, a top White House adviser on artificial intelligence, and Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy as “BJP idiots”.

Some X users have shared a screenshot of one of Lauren Balik’s replies, wherein she allegedly asked someone to ‘curse’ Lord Vishnu to prove he’s not an Indian. Although we did not come across such a reply during our search. Apparently, either the reply was deleted, or the screenshot circulating online is not accurate.

Steven Lauren Balik consistently peddled propaganda about Hindutva, caste, immigration of Indians to America, and villainised Hindus, especially in the tech and health sectors. With her death, Lauren Balik’s anti-Hindu and anti-India commentary is getting renewed attention on social media.

Who is Mahmoud Khalil, the radical Palestinian activist who instigated Stanford students to walk out when Sundar Pichai addressed them

Rukma Rathore
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Who is Mahmoud Khalil, the radical Palestinian activist who instigated Stanford students to walk out when Sundar Pichai addressed them

On 14th June (Sunday) Stanford University’s 2026 graduation ceremony was interrupted after a group of students started a protest when Google Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai was giving his keynote speech as the commencemnt speaker. He entered the stage as approximately 200 students left their seats, blew whistles, chanted slogans as well as waved banners and Palestinian flags.

Image via SFGATE

Many were also spotted donning traditional scarves called keffiyehs which are tied to Hamas. Pichai, an alumnus of the institution, was introduced and the students wearing their graduation hats and gowns began to depart while several could be heard booing as his address proceeded.

The demonstrators denounced the tech giant’s connections to the Israeli government, especially Project Nimbus. It is a $1.2 trillion cloud computing agreement between Google, Amazon and Israel which took place in 2021. The walkout was publicised weeks ago by Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, accusing that the project promotes the Jewish state’s operations amid the war in Gaza.

It was alleged that under Pichai’s leadership “Google profited from and enabled ICE’s (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) kidnappings of our neighbours and the genocide in Gaza by providing cloud computing services and AI software to ICE and IDF (Israel Defense Forces).”

The students contended that “they refuse to glorify the corporations which fuel this violence.” They referred to Google as “evil” and announced that they “will not allow their technology to be used for war and profits.” However, Pichai didn’t bring up the subject and even stayed away from discussing artificial intelligence.

The students had organised their own “People’s Commencement” for the second consecutive year. The main speaker for the latest event was Islamist Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil. On the other hand, the Google chief who urged the attendees to “choose optimism” was well-received as the stories he shared were greeted with applause and laughter following the brief disruption.

Mahmoud Khalil: The anti-Israel extremist

Mahmoud Khalil, born in Syria, is an infamous Algerian Palestinian propagandist who grabbed attention when “Intifada” shouting individuals occupied New York’s prominent Columbia University in 2024 to rally against Israel. He emerged as a spokesperson and negotiator during this “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and larger agitation, reported BBC.

The move intended to press the institution to formally insist on an end to Israel’s campaign in Gaza and to divest from Israel, particularly from businesses whose goods, services or infrastructure had been utilised in the military action there. At the time, Khalil was a graduate student at the Ivy League school. ICE apprehended him on 8th March of last year.

The Trump administration attempted to deport the 30-year-old, and he spent three months in an immigration detention in Louisiana. However, a judge eventually ordered his release on 20th June. President Donald Trump had pledged to crack down on students embroiled in similar conduct.

He charged that Khalil and other pro-Palestinian voices endorsed Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist group by Washington. Trump termed him as “a radical foreign pro-Hamas student” who was involved in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity” which would not be tolerated. The action was hailed as “the first of many to come” as the former argued that such persons need to be repatriated.

“Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathisers from our country — never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply,” he added.

Khalil worked for the Syrian American non-profit Jusoor after graduating from Lebanese American University with a degree in computer science. His profile on the Society for International Development website disclosed that he oversaw the Syria Chevening Programme for the British Embassy in Beirut, which provided scholarships for study in the United Kingdom. He later left the position. 

After relocating to the US in 2022, Khalil enrolled in Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs to obtain a master’s degree. He married an American citizen and had a child with her.

Circulating Hamas literature, failure to provide important information and more: Serious charges against Khalil

Khalil was a mediator between protestors and university management amid the face-off in Columbia University. He has been accused of leading Columbia University Apartheid Divest (Cuad), which wanted a truce in Gaza and the institution to sever its financial links to Israel, among other demands. However, Khalil refuted the allegations and asserted to be acting just as a spokesperson and mediator during the conflict.

The Department of Homeland Security pointed out that Khalil was “leading activities aligned to Hamas” upon his arrest which was part of an effort to carry out Trump’s executive order that forbade antisemitism. He was accused by the White House of planning gatherings where pro-Hamas literature was handed out as his lawyers denied these statements.

Jewish students at the varsity expressed that the protests turned antisemitic and they experienced unease and unsafety on campus. Columbia Jewish Alumni Association likewise stated that Khalil “spent over a year abusing the privileges this country and Columbia gave him.” The university lost $400 million in funding due to “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students,” per the Trump administration.

Khalil was temporarily suspended from the university during the unrest as police stormed the campus after a building was taken over by the marchers. He insisted, however, that he was merely a negotiator with Columbia officials and he had refrained from joining the encampment out of concern that it might have an impact on his student visa. Interestingly, there is also ambiguity regarding the time he obtained his green card, which provides him with permanent residency.

Immigration agents nabbed Khalil on two charges. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, declared that his presence in the country could trigger “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” by citing a rare section of the Immigration and Nationality Act. However, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz pronounced that the attempt to detain and deport the Muslim man was unconstitutional.

The Trump administration then mentioned that the action was taken due to his failure to supply details about his 2024 application for authorised permanent residency. Although Khalil was granted bail, White House emphasised that the judge lacked the authority and underscored that they would file an appeal against the decision.

Furthermore, a lawsuit regarding the 7th of October 2023 terror attack unveiled that multiple anti-Israel groups in the US had prior knowledge of the massacre perpetrated by Hamas. It was submitted by 6 relatives of victims held captive by the jihadi outfit against numerous student organisations and Khalil for “aiding and abetting the continuing acts of international terrorism” perpetuated by Hamas.

Mr Donald Trump, the Strait of Hormuz was open and toll-free before you started the war against Iran, so what victory exactly are you celebrating?

Sanghamitra
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Mr Donald Trump, the Strait of Hormuz was open and toll-free before you started the war against Iran, so what victory exactly are you celebrating?

The US government has announced the successful agreement with Iran on a peace deal, with the usual dose of self-praise and bravado by Donald Trump. The White House posted the announcement by Trump, declaring “The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all”.

His post on Truth Social was the usual style, full of bravado and self-glorification bordering on narcissism that the world is used to by now. 

Trump’s post on Truth Social

“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all. I hereby fully authorize the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow.”

Trump’s statement reads as if the Strait of Hormuz was closed by some evil powers who were demanding a heavy, impossible toll, and the US President sent his Navy to defeat the evil powers and open the Strait, going to war for the global good like a fairy tale king.

For a person who has observed the developments of the conflict carefully, this alsmost reads like a crass joke. Who is he congratulating? What victory is he so happy about? Because, in his desperation to post anything tha looked like winning, Trump seems to have forgotten an important fact. The Strait was already open, peaceful, functional and toll-free before the war was started by the US and Israeli forces against Iran.

That truth is stark and known, regardless of what Trump posts on his personal social media, ironically named ’Truth Social’. The Strait was open, peaceful, and was handling 25% of the Global oil and LNG trade before Trump started bombing Iran on February 28.

Iran had only closed and mined it ‘in response’ to U.S. and Israeli strikes. The “crisis” that Trump is claiming to have solved is one HE created. 

What was the point of this war?

Before the war endangered commercial shipping in the world’s most energy-focused trade route, tankers moved smoothly through the Strait with no tolls imposed on routine traffic. After the U.S. and Israel started bombing, Iran retaliated by shutting it down, attacking vessels, and the U.S. imposed its own blockade.

That ‘blockade’ itself was a joke. US was effectively countering an alleged blockade by claiming to be blockading the hell out of the blockade that was never blockaded in the first place before they came to bomb Iran. 

Oil and gas prices spiked, global supplies through the entire route were disrupted through the Gulf to India, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and beyond. Now the deal claims to restore pre-war conditions, toll-free access again, after months of disruption.

Trump wants the world to believe that this is some kind of victory that he has scored. But he is not foooling anyone. This is not a win, this is a desperate cleanup for a mess that the US has created.

Who actually won, who benefited the most from the war?

One word: Russia. 

The Russian Federation was the biggest gainer in this war in purely economical and even some strategic terms. The energy supply disruption from the Gulf nations caused Russia to pocket a massive windfall, because Arab oil was blocked in the Strait, and President Putin had a lot of oil to sell. 

The Hormuz closure drove oil prices sharply higher, boosting Moscow’s export revenues by billions of dollars. The US had to waive its own sanctions on Russian oil because they created a supply crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Some estimates say Russian earnings may have been several tens of billions of dollars. Higher Urals crude prices, combined with temporary US sanctions easing on Russian oil, gave Putin an economic gift that helped sustain operations elsewhere. 

In February, Russia’s discounted Urals crude was selling at $45 per barrel. In mid-March, thanks to the USA, it was selling at $90 per barrel. That’s just the Urals crude; since the Iran war disrupted LNG supplies from the Gulf too, Russia gained additionally from LNG sales. In March 2026 alone, Russia’s oil exports were reported to have surged by $9.3 billion month-on-month.

Reuters reported that Russia’s oil and gas revenues were already up by 39% compared to 2025 as of May this year. 

Trump wanted Regime change in Iran, but all he did was replace one Khamenei with another  

The Iranian theocratic regime that the US beats drums about stays intact. Some say it even strengthened in key ways. US strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but his son Mojtaba Khamenei was declared the successor, and is stated to be even more of a hardliner, and has better ties with the IRGC than his deceased father.

Mojtaba’s succession marked a dynastic-style transition the regime had long avoided, yet it consolidated power around security forces and suppressed opposition. No collapse, no fundamental change happened. Officially, Iran is still ruled by a theocratic regime.

Iran ends up ‘gaining’ as the deal details suggest

The deal that has reportedly been agreed upon between the US and Iran seems to be giving some much-needed breathing space to Iran. Iran’s assets are to be unfrozen, with a potential release of up to $24 billion in credit lines and cash transfers, as per reports by Iranian state media Mehr News. Iran even gets a 60-day window for nuclear talks with potential room for negotiation and a temporary sanction waiver on oil sales. Latest reports say US is going to release $12 billion of Iran’s frozen assets before the final signing of the deal.

Basically, the regime that Trump failed to change will get a revenue flow.

Additionally, the Iranian state media is reporting that the deal includes a $300 billion reconstruction plan sponsored by US and its allies, apart from withdrawal of US forces from the region.

How much the USA lost?

The US seems to have learned nothing at all from the 20-year-old lesson called Afghanistan. Another expensive war on faraway shores that killed their soldiers and destroyed billions of dollars in military assets while their leaders kept thumping chests and claiming victory in outcomes that are basically ‘back to square one’.

The direct military losses are estimated at $25-35 billion, with costs climbing with replenishment.

Military hardware is where the US loss is most serious. Dozens of drones, including MQ-9 Reapers, F-15s, refuelers, ultra-expensive radars like the THAAD systems that will take years to rebuild, along with the damaged bases across the Gulf region, are a reminder of US taxpayer dollars that have been sunk in another pointless war.

US soldiers have lost their lives in the conflict, dozens haven been wounded and and broader economic ripple effects on US, and its allies are yet to reveal their full impact. Apparently, it was all for a deal that largely resets the board to where it was before the fighting started.

The bottom line is, Donald Trump is tauting the de-escalation and falling oil prices as some sort of vindication for his “peace through strength” and “America First” slogans, but the enriched uranium stockpile that Iran reportedly had, remains an issue deferred to future talks. The Iranian regime survived under new management. Russia has earned billions, and America is bearing the bill, in blood, ultra-expensive assets, and a depleted treasury.

The entire thing looks like a crass joke, on the American public and also on the whole world. A pointless, destructive loop that created a problem through escalation, claimed hundreds of innocent civilian lives and caused economic hardships for billions of people around the world through the disruption of critical supply routes.

The Strait that was open and toll-free before is hopefully going to be open and toll-free again, and hopefully, the crude, violent and thoroughly pointless war that the Trump administration imposed on the rest of the world would come to an end soon, with a global bully congratulating itself like a clown. 

Another fact is that similar alleged ‘peace deal’ agreements have been declared before, Israel has objected before, and the talks have collapsed before. Unless an actual deal has been signed and sealed and US forces are back in their own waters, a lot can still happen. Conflicting statements, claims and counterclaims are already flying, and Israel has already objected, again.

Read exclusive FIR details of USA Christian org ‘The Timothy Initiative’ booked on ED complaint: TTI’s training sermons, brainwashing of poor people led to Left-Wing Extremism

Anurag
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Read exclusive FIR details of USA Christian org ‘The Timothy Initiative’ booked on ED complaint: TTI’s training sermons, brainwashing of poor people led to Left-Wing Extremism

In a major development in the ongoing investigation into the foreign funding network linked to the United States-based evangelical organisation The Timothy Initiative (TTI), Bengaluru Police have registered an FIR in the case. The FIR names six individuals and TTI. The case concerns the routing of foreign funds worth Rs 92.55 crore into India through foreign-issued debit cards. According to the FIR accessed by OpIndia, the ED said in its complaint that TTI’s training sermons and brainwashing of poor people led to Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).

The FIR was registered on 11th June at Kothanur Police Station based on a complaint filed by Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Sunil Kumar Sinhmar, under Sections 318(4), 335(A)(ii), 336(3), 238, 61(2) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Sections 13, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The complaint was filed through the office of the Bengaluru Police Commissioner.

Source: Bengaluru Police

Notably, search and seizure operations were carried out by the ED on 18th and 19th April 2026 under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act and Section 37 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The accused named in the FIR

The accused named in the FIR are Jonathan S Rajan, Micah Mark, Ajit Verghese Mathai, Varghese Chacko, Bablu Kurmi, Supreme Joy and The Timothy Initiative USA and others.

According to the FIR, the accused persons and the US-based evangelical organisation entered into a criminal conspiracy to bring foreign-origin funds into India through debit cards issued by Truist bank in the United States. The FIR stated that these funds were withdrawn from ATMs across India and used for activities linked to TTI’s operations.

Foreign debit cards and the Rs 92.55 crore trail

According to the complainant, based on financial transactions, documents and statements, the process of accessing foreign funds was in violation of the FEMA Act and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). It further stated that between November 2025 and April 2026, around Rs 92.55 crore, or USD 99,95,240, was used in violation of legal provisions.

Furthermore, the FIR states that between January 2024 and March 2026, around Rs 44 crore was withdrawn using foreign debit cards in several states, including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Assam.

Micah Mark intercepted at Bengaluru airport

A key part of the FIR concerns the detention of Micah Mark at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on 18th April 2026. According to the FIR, when he was intercepted by the ED, he was found to be in possession of 24 foreign debit cards.

During the investigation, the agency found that Micah Mark had travelled abroad several times and brought foreign debit cards into India. According to the FIR, he was the key person handling the main financial operations of TTI in India.

The FIR stated that most of the foreign debit cards were printed in the name of one “Santosh Kumar”. Since the same name appeared on the cards, the cards were internally identified using regional labels such as NE-1, NE-2 and Southern Region-1. It was done to avoid suspicion during LEA and KYC scrutiny.

The FIR says that the foreign debit cards were printed in the name of one “Santosh Kumar”. Since the same name appeared on the cards, the cards were internally identified using regional labels such as NE-1, NE-2 and Southern Region-1. The FIR states that this was done to avoid suspicion during Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) and Know Your Customer (KYC) scrutiny and to conceal original records. Around 1,000 such debit cards had been distributed in India over the past few years.

FIR states digital evidence was destroyed

The complainant pointed towards the destruction of digital evidence by the accused. According to the FIR, following the searches by the ED, the TTI Global portal became unusable for Indian users. It further stated that data maintained in the cloud was erased through remote access to servers maintained by TTI in the US.

During questioning, Micah Mark admitted that his account had been deleted from the backend. The report of the incident and the video recording were provided to the police by the complainant.

Suspicious withdrawals in LWE-affected areas

One of the most concerning aspects of the investigation was the suspicious cash transactions that took place in Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas, including the Dhamtari and Bastar regions of Chhattisgarh, using these foreign debit cards. Around Rs 6.34 crore was withdrawn in such regions. The FIR further stated that the debit cards were used in a planned manner to withdraw large amounts of cash, indicating the involvement of an organised network.

The FIR said that the emergence of a cash-based economy in Naxalite-affected areas poses a serious threat to India’s security and economic integrity and facilitates the illegal transfer of money for unlawful activities. It stated that around Rs 3.2 crore was withdrawn through 3,200 transactions of Rs 10,000 each.

The FIR specifically mentioned that this amount was withdrawn using two debit cards from a single AU Small Finance Bank ATM at Vijay Plaza on Bastar Road in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh. It stated that the withdrawals were made under the supervision of field-level worker Varghese Chacko.

UAPA invoked over movement of foreign funds to Naxal-affected areas

The FIR stated that the pattern of systematic cash withdrawals through units and field workers in LWE/Naxalite-affected districts of Chhattisgarh involved foreign funds received from and directed by The Timothy Initiative of America.

It further stated that this is prima facie an “unlawful activity” within the meaning of Section 2(o) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The FIR added that the foreign funds were intended to be carried into areas under active Naxal influence.

Because of this, the FIR said that the transfer of money from the foreign-based TTI to LWE/Naxalite-affected districts of Chhattisgarh attracts provisions of the UAPA.

Role attributed to Ajit Verghese Mathai and Jonathan S Rajan

According to the FIR, Ajit Verghese Mathai was the overall finance head of TTI’s India operations. It stated that the transfers were routed through various front or shell entities registered in Bengaluru. Furthermore, Rs 37 lakh in cash, which was withdrawn using foreign debit cards, was seized from Mathai’s office.

The FIR also stated that Jonathan S Rajan was in charge of the overall operations of TTI in India. It records that he, along with Ajit Verghese Mathai, conspired to withdraw money from ATMs for TTI activities across India.

The FIR pointed out that the money was used for activities including training, religious preaching, and brainwashing poor people in a manner leading to Left-Wing Extremism. It also stated that Jonathan Rajan looked after the selection of persons conducting such training and the identification of places where such programmes were to be conducted.

Source: Bengaluru Police

Field-level workers and TTI expenditure

The FIR added that Varghese Chacko, Supreme Joy and Bablu Kurmi were field-level workers who, in conspiracy with others, withdrew money from several ATMs using foreign debit cards and used it for TTI purposes.

The FIR further stated that evidence revealed TTI had spent more than Rs 95 crore in India. It cited a screenshot from quickbook.com, described as the accounting software used by TTI, and stated that Micah Mark was questioned about expenditure bills collected by various field coordinators during the previous six months. According to the FIR, he stated that these were paid by TTI between November 2025 and April 2026.

Background of the case

The FIR against TTI is the latest development in a wider probe into the foreign-funded evangelical network that has been under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate. OpIndia has done a series of reports on TTI over the past few months. During our investigation, we revealed how TTI built its India network, how foreign churches supported its activities and how funds from abroad were brought into India despite the organisation not having FCRA approval, which was the core of the ED’s investigation in the first place.

As reported earlier in this series, TTI began as “Project India” in 2009 and was later rebranded as TTI in 2009. Its founder, David Nelms, had first come to India in 1992, and the organisation later developed a structured church-planting model focused on India and other countries.

TTI’s model was built around creating layers of local religious workers, described in its own ecosystem through terms such as Pauls, Timothys and Tituses. The model projected low-cost house churches, with each unit requiring only a few hundred dollars to plant.

OpIndia’s investigation revealed how TTI’s India-focused work was not a standalone activity. It was connected with a wider ecosystem of foreign churches and Christian networks, mostly from the US and Canada. Names that surfaced during our investigation included Kensington Church, Mission Grove Church, Northwest Baptist Church, Wooddale Church, Rise City Church, Mission Hills Church, First Presbyterian Church of Hanford, Springbrook Community Church, the Baptist General Conference of Canada, Liberty Church Network, All Access International, Saltbox Church and Woodside Bible Church.

Several of these foreign churches openly described their work in India or with TTI in terms of church planting, pastor training, field visits and funding targets. Kensington Church was linked to thousands of house churches in northern India, along with India visits, field engagement, children’s homes and medical camps. Mission Grove Church spoke of thousands of churches in northern India and Nepal, and fundraising linked to church planting in India and Bangladesh. Wooddale Church was linked to TTI training trips across India, Nepal and Bangladesh, along with references to thousands of leaders and churches.

Furthermore, it was found that TTI’s own training and operational material showed how the organisation trained local workers to enter Hindu-dominated villages, approach Hindus, avoid suspicion, use local social structures and identify caste leaders for outreach. The organisation’s model was not limited to preaching from outside. It depended on local field-level workers, layered leadership, village-level access and a structured expansion plan.

What started with FCRA and FEMA violations has now moved into the realm of national security.

Rise of ‘real’ Christianity: At pro-Trump, conservative event, MAGA women volunteer to give up their right to vote – why it is not surprising

OpIndia Staff
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Rise of ‘real’ Christianity: At pro-Trump, conservative event, MAGA women volunteer to give up their right to vote – why it is not surprising

There is a strange, deeply Christian and extremely reggressive trend that is taking shape in the United States of America – Christian women are rallying to give up their right to vote, because in the Christian society, the headship of the household is accorded to the man and the man alone. While the trend has been palpable for some time now, the latest conversation was sparked after several women volunteered to give up their voting rights in the hopes for a far more Christian society at the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Women’s Leadership Summit recently held in San Antonio, Texas, led by Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk.

The Republican Party, which aligns itself with conservative Christian values and exercises influence through the Christian Right, has increasingly made space for reggressive ideas which align with its voter base – women given up their right to vote being one of them.

A CBC report gives remarkable insight into the growing echo among the Christian society. Savanna Stone is a wildly popular Christian conservative influencer with almost half a million followers on Instagram and personifies the “trad wife” schtick. CBC quotes Stone propagating against women’s voting rights and advocating for a one-house-one-vote formula. She claims that women tend to vote for more ‘liberal’ candidates and therefore, they should give up their voting rights for a more conservative and Christian America. She also says that women should vote exactly how their husbands vote.

One would be tempted to dismiss Stone’s views as those of an influencer trying to chase eyeballs, but she wasn’t the only woman to hold such opinions.

CBC quoted several women who advocated for the exact same thing. They quoted a stay-at-home mom, Brooke Foxworthy, saying “If my husband is the head of the household, I am the neck, and we work very cohesively together,” she said. “If he was voting on behalf of our household, I would be fine with that.” She said she’d even be comfortable if it meant her daughter lost her right to vote, as well. “I also know she’s going to marry a biblical man, and that they would also be in line,” when it comes to political values, she said.

Another woman quoted by CBC said, “I feel like with my mindset, I would want to put my vote in,” said the 19-year-old nursing student from San Diego, Calif. “But … I think getting rid of that would actually help women more.”

“My perspective as a Christian woman is that my husband and I are one flesh,” Alexus DeGraaf told CBC. “I vote the same way he does, so honestly, I would be okay with giving up my right to vote, because I know that he would represent me well.”

Not a new campaign – When Pete Hegseth endorsed stripping women of voting rights

In 2025, Pete Hegseth, the largely unstable Defence Secretary in the Trump Administration retweeted an interview of Christian nationalist Doug Wilson. Wilson is Hegseth’s personal pastor and extremely influential in the Republican Party. In the video retweeted and endorsed by Hegseth, church members discussed why they believe women shouldn’t be allowed to vote.

Founded by Wilson, the Christ Church and its members firmly believe that women should not have the right to vote. Politico in a 2025 article quoted Jared Longshore, a minister of Wilson’s church, as saying he is “very grateful for what he’s (Donald Trump) doing. … I’m certainly grateful for what he did with Supreme Court justices. … I know Pete has done things” related to women in combat roles.

“Scripture calls the husband the head and then the woman the body. When you hear that the husband has a hierarchy in the home, we should think in the same way that we think about the relationship between our heads and our bodies”, Longshore was quoted as saying.

Longshore said repealing the 19th Amendment is “not something I’m pressing for, but when asked would I support that, I said yes, I would. … from the beginning of our nation up until the time of the suffrage movement, we had one vote per household and I think that would be a good thing.”

Interestingly, Hegseth only responded through a spokesperson saying that he was a proud member of the Church and supports and appreciates many of Longshore’s writings – tacitly supporting Longshore’s position on women’s right to vote.

The Biblical position on women

While modern propaganda paints Christianity as a cool, choir-singing faith, the truth is far from pretty. Christianity paints women as inferior, with a central tenet being the submission of women to male headship. Christianity was heavily influenced by the Greco-Roman worldview which considered women in inferior position and secondary to men. For example, Aristotle viewed women as ‘infertile males’, which is a bastardisation, essentially, of the ideal form of humanity.

There are several Biblical verses that reaffirm the belief that women are inferior being and must submit to the will and headship of the husband.

Corinthians 11:3–9 for example says, “The head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is man… neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” Timothy 2:11–15 says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” Ephesians 5:22–24 says, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife.” 

The Biblical position is simple – women are to be excluded from priesthood, political participation, employment and active paritipation in any field that would potentially come in the way of, even slightly, of her traditional role of bearing children and catering to household duties.

Online push-back – a fractured America

MAGA women voters rallying to give up their voting rights has met with rather muted pushback on the internet. While several Americans called out the regressive stance taken by MAGA women and the Republican party, otherwise vocal political influencers have maintained studious silence.

Democrat Sara McGee posted on X, urging MAGA women to just go ahead and give up their own voting rights if they so fervently believe that Christian values exclude women from participating in the democratic process.

Other on X also opposed the assertions by MAGA women.

It is significant that Republican women have been silent through the controversy with Democrats speaking up, turning the TPUSA event to call out the mysogyny in the MAGA fold.

Not a fringe opinion

Given the traditional position, it is not surprising that Christian Nationalists would be rallying to strip women off their voting rights and numbers show that this opinion may not be completely ‘fringe’ either. According to a research conducted by the Public Religion Research Centre, an overwhelming number of Americans either firmy believed in or were sympathetic to Christian conservative values.

White Nationalism and belief in Christian Conservative values (source: PRRI)

In 2024, a whopping 29% believed in Christian Nationalism (either adherants or sympathetic).

According to PRRI, “Partisanship is closely linked to Christian nationalist views. Most Republicans qualify as either Christian nationalism sympathizers (33%) or adherents (21%), while at least three-quarters of both independents (46% skeptics and 29% rejecters) and Democrats (36% skeptics and 47% rejecters) lean toward rejecting Christian nationalism. Republicans (21%) are about four times as likely as Democrats (5%) or independents (6%) to be adherents of Christian nationalism”. It therefore shows that while 29% believe in Christian/White Nationalism overall, 54% of Republicans hold such views.

Rebel TMC MP faction merges with Nationalist Citizens Party of India: What is this Howrah-headquartered obscure party that has suddenly become 5th largest party in Lok Sabha

Raju Das
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Rebel TMC MP faction merges with Nationalist Citizens Party of India: What is this Howrah-headquartered obscure party that has suddenly become 5th largest party in Lok Sabha

In a dramatic political development that has caught many by surprise, a significant faction of rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, comprising around 20 members, over two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha strength, has announced its decision to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The rebels, including veteran leaders like Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, and others such as Satabdi Roy, Saayoni Ghosh, and Arup Chakraborty, met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted necessary letters seeking recognition as members of the NCPI for separate seating arrangements in Parliament.

The rebel faction, now members of NCPI, has also announced that they will join the NDA. While it was expected that the rebel faction would merge with an existing party, the choice of the party has surprised people. Almost no one knew about the existence of such a political party before Sunday afternoon, when the rebel TMC leaders mentioned its name. It is being said that the party has bases in Tripura and Meghalaya, but those bases are also extremely small.

The development has sparked widespread curiosity and amusement, and as per a report by Anandabazar Patrika, several political leaders from Tripura said that they have never heard about the party. With 19 or 20 MPs, the Nationalist Citizens Party of India has suddenly become the 5th largest party in the Lok Sabha, behind DMK, which moves to 4th from 5th place.

The Nationalist Citizens Party of India is a very obscure Registered Unrecognised Political Party, which had no media presence before 14th June. It is not recognised party by the Election Commission, and therefore it does not have an allotted symbol.

The Nationalist Citizens Party of India is one of India’s many obscure Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs). Registered with the Election Commission of India in 2022-23, the party had remained virtually unknown to the public and even to seasoned political observers until this sudden spotlight.

As per ECI documents, its headquarters is located at Jago Biswa, Holding No. 4719, Village Hatgacha, Post Office Banipur, Police Station Sankrail, District Howrah, Pin Code 711304 in West Bengal. Therefore, the party is based in Howrah in West Bengal, not Tripura as being reported by many.

However, despite its West Bengal base, the party showed some political activity only in Tripura, where it contested two seats in the 2023 Assembly elections under the symbol of a pen nib with seven rays. Both candidates performed poorly, with negligible vote shares, reflecting the party’s minimal electoral footprint. Jahangir Ali contested from Kailashahar constituency and secured 286 votes, while Barjeda Tripura from Chawmanu polled just 536 votes. This means the whole party received 822 votes in the elections.

Notably, in election results, ECI used the abbreviation NCPN for the party, not NCPI. The election commission uses its own system for shortening party names, and sometimes it does not match the normal abbreviation. This is mainly done if the abbreviation is already allotted to another party. For example, Aam Aadmi Party has been given the code AAAP by ECI, because AAP was already allotted to Awami Aamjan Party. Therefore, it is likely that the NCPI code is also already allotted to some other unknown party.

Details about the party’s origins, founders, and pre-existing leadership remain remarkably sparse. No prominent national or state-level figures are publicly associated with it in available records or media reports. It functions as a low-profile entity with a modest Facebook presence, where the latest post was posted in 2023. As per its Facebook page, it has a flag with vertical green, white and saffron stripes, with the symbol of pen nib with seven rays in the centre. Apart from some photographs and election posters from 2023 Tripura elections, the Facebook page does not have any other major content.

As per the election posters of the party, its president is Shewly Kundu, vice president is Uttiyo Kundu, and organisational secretary is Shantanu Dey.

The rebels’ choice to merge with this obscure party, rather than forming an entirely new one or joining an established major player like the BJP directly, is rooted in both legal strategy and political pragmatism. According to the law, legislators face disqualification if they voluntarily give up membership of their political party or vote against party directives. However, an exception is provided in cases of the merger of political parties. If not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislative party concerned agree to a merger with another political party, such members are protected from disqualification. This means rebel MPs or MLAs can’t form a new party, but the group can join an existing party.

By merging their group, which comfortably crosses the two-thirds threshold, with the existing registered party NCPI instead of individual defections or forming a new party, the rebels have ensured that it will be a legitimate party merger rather than defection.

Moreover, aligning with a virtually leaderless and obscure outfit like the NCPI allows the TMC rebels to effectively take over the party wholesale. Unlike joining the BJP or another established NDA constituent, where they would have had to operate under senior leaders and established hierarchies, the rebels can now steer the NCPI in their preferred direction.

As the party already has its registered office in West Bengal, it becomes easy for the rebel faction to quickly turn it into a major political party. They can open a bigger party office in West Bengal and may eventually stake a claim to the “Trinamool” name and symbol, leveraging their numerical majority from the original TMC. This effectively transforms the NCPI into its own vehicle, preserving autonomy and avoiding subordination to any external leadership while still extending support to the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance.

While NCPI has become the 5th largest party in Lok Sabha, more importantly, it has become the second largest party in the lower house in NDA, surpassing TDP with 16 MPs. However, the development is not expected to end in Lok Sabha. The revolt in TMC started in Kolkata, with over 60 MLAs opposing the party’s choice for the leader of the opposition. The rebel group is backing expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee for the post.

With the MPs merging with NCPI, it will be a natural choice for the rebel MLAs also to merge with the party. If that happens, TMC will turn into a very weak party in the state with less than 20 MLAs. In contrast, the BJP-led NDA government, which already has comfortable majority, will become much stronger with a new ally with over 60 MLAs.

Female judicial officer loses ₹52 lakh after Tinder ‘relationship’, complaint filed through maid: Delhi court denies bail to honey-trap accused, asks actual victim to submit details

Aditi
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Female judicial officer loses ₹52 lakh after Tinder ‘relationship’, complaint filed through maid: Delhi court denies bail to honey-trap accused, asks actual victim to submit details

A Delhi court recently denied bail to an accused in a honey-trapping and cyber fraud case involving Haryana Additional District and Sessions Judge. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Saurabh Partap Singh Laler, of Karkardooma Court, dismissed the bail plea of Deepak Vats, who is accused of duping the judicial officer of ₹52 lakh. OpIndia accessed judgment in the case.

The ASJ noted that the facts of the case bore a pattern of a honey trap, while making sharp observations regarding the conduct of the accused, the complainant, and the investigation carried out by the Delhi Police Special Cell. “…the pattern of financial transactions correlating so precisely and immediately with the WhatsApp communications is consistent with the hypothesis of a honey trap,” ASJ Laler observed in the order dated June 9, 2026, expressing “profound anguish at the state of the record in the present proceedings”.

“The modus operandi is distressingly familiar: initial contact through a dating application, rapid and intensive emotional escalation, the development of deep personal intimacy, and then the progressive extraction of money, often presented as investments, gifts, or shared ventures. The present matter bears all the hallmarks of this pattern,” the ASJ added.

The Court expressed disappointment over the fact that the judicial official got the complaint filed in the name of her domestic help, instead of coming forward and presenting complete facts before the court. “A judicial officer, a person who is herself entrusted with the solemn duty of dispensing justice, of upholding truth before the law, and of expecting others who appear before her to present the complete facts, has chosen to approach this court obliquely, through her maid’s name, rather than coming forward herself,” the ASJ said.

The court acknowledged that the victim, being a judicial officer, might have felt profound embarrassment on finding out that she had been honey-trapped. However, the court said that by filing the complaint in an incomplete and misleading manner complicated the proceedings.

“The vulnerability of a person in that situation invites understanding, not condemnation. However, the officer’s personal discomfort cannot be permitted to compromise the integrity of a criminal investigation. A complaint filed in an incomplete or misleading manner, designed to protect the victim’s identity at the cost of obscuring the facts, creates exactly the kind of evidentiary confusion that is now before this court,” the court said.

The court expressed displeasure over the partially concealed information, including WhatsApp communication and chats, submitted by both the judicial officer and the accused before the court. The court also questioned the conduct of the investigating officer (IO), sub-inspector Ajit Dadarwal of Delhi Police, and stated that an officer investigating a cyber fraud of over ₹52 lakh involving a judicial officer was expected to display the highest standards of diligence, impartiality and thoroughness.

The court said that IO Dadarwal failed to obtain the Tinder chat history of either party, the complete WhatsApp chat history from the accused’s device, and ignored a court direction to verify an alleged meeting between the victim and the accused at Drishtti Dreamscapes, Saket. The court asked the judicial officer to provide complete details of the case. “The victim, being a judicial officer, is better placed than most to understand that the path to justice requires candour,” the court said.

How the case came up before the court

The judge, who is the victim in this case, and the accused had met through a dating app called Tinder. Judicial officer, a member of the Haryana superior judicial service, is presently posted as an Additional District and Sessions Judge, fast track special court for trying offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Narnaul.

The two developed a relationship, and the judge transferred a total amount of around ₹52 lakh into the bank accounts of the accused. According to the prosecution, the accused made the victim transfer the amount to him by promising high returns. However, the promise was never fulfilled, leading to the filing of a complaint. Notably, the judicial officer did not file the complaint herself but instead got a complaint registered in the name of her house help, Diksha Devi.

An e-FIR was registered under sections 308 (extortion), 318(4) cheating, 319 (cheating by personation) and 340 (using a forged document or electronic record as genuine) of the BNS against Deepak Vats on the complaint of the judicial officer’s maid Diksha Devi.

The ASJ highlighted how even educated individuals, including government officials, have been falling victim to cases of cyber fraud. “This Court has, during the course of proceedings in numerous cyber fraud matters over the year, encountered a regrettable pattern in which individuals, including senior civil servants, professionals, and business persons of standing, have been ensnared in digital arrest, investment fraud or romantic honey traps,” the judge said.

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