The Jaipur Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday (21st August) conducted raids on Jaipur-based pastor Ravi Mohan Pahadiya under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA, 1999). According to the information received by the agency, pastor Pahadiya has been receiving foreign funds to the tune of ₹2.20 Crore primarily from a US-based donor and has been using them for religious conversion activities.
As per a statement released by the ED on Saturday in connection with the raids, an investigation was launched by the agency under the provisions of FEMA, 1999 against pastor Pahadiya and his wife Gunjan Sharma after receiving some intelligence inputs. The investigation revealed that the pastor, a Protestant missionary affiliated with Hope Ministry, has been receiving these funds illegally, without an FCRA registration.
Pastor Pahadiya has been receiving a large part of the funds from a US-based donor, namely Thomas Eugene Lynch. The funds were falsely shown to have been received for business and consultancy purposes but were being used for proselytisation. The pastor and his wife have been carrying out conversion activities among SC-Valmiki/ ST-Bhill communities in Jaipur and tribal dominated South Rajasthan, respectively.
ED, Jaipur Zonal Office has conducted search operations on 21.08.2026 at 2 premises across Jaipur under FEMA, 1999, in connection with misutilization of foreign donations of more than Rs. 2 Crore received without having FCRA registration and other than declared purpose. During… pic.twitter.com/RYpBlqAcJj
— ED (@dir_ed) August 22, 2026
“Investigation revealed that Ravi Mohan Pahadiya and his wife Gunjan Sharma received total foreign funds to the tune of Rs. 2.34 Crore (approx.) mainly by showing purpose of Business and management consultancy & 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.
During the raids, the central agency found documents and digital devices revealing financial transactions of pastor Pahadiya, who was in regular touch with foreign nationals and engaged in religious conversion activities.
“During the search operations, various incriminating documents and digital devices were seized. Further, it is revealed that Ravi Mohan Pahadiya has received huge foreign funds of Rs. 2.88 Crore as donations without having FCRA permission by misdeclaring the purpose and ultimately used those funds for personal expenses, foreign travels, and purchasing property in his name. Further, it is also prima facie revealed that he is in regular touch with foreign nationals and engaged in organising meetings/religious gatherings for proselytisation activities among the underprivileged/tribal people of various states on their instructions,” the ED statement read.
Notably, the central government introduced the new FCRA Bill earlier this year for stricter regulations of foreign funds. The Bill is currently under review before a joint parliamentary committee. Subsequently, in June, the government notified the FCRA Rules, 2026, which 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.
