Income Tax raid at home, offices of Believers Church's KP Yohannan; 'Rs 54L cash, phones seized'

Kerala, 5-Nov-2020

The Income Tax department on Thursday conducted raids at the residence and offices of KP Yohannan, the founder and director of Gospel For Asia and also the metropolitan bishop of Believers Church. The raids were carried out at various locations in Kerala�s Kottayam and Pathanamthitta over alleged tax evasion. As per reports, the officials confiscated Rs 54 lakh from the boot of a vehicle parked in the premises and also seized a few phones. However, there is no confirmation regarding this. The raids, that began at 7 am, are still underway. Reports suggest the raids were initiated on the inputs regarding alleged tax evasion and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations by the Thiruvalla-based Church. Officials said simultaneous raids were being carried out at the residences and offices of several persons associated with the Church in Kerala as well as outside the state. The Income Tax team is also searching the medical college hospital run by the institution at Thiruvalla. In 2017, the Ministry of Home Affairs had barred the Believers Church and three other associated NGOs from accepting foreign funds. It was claimed in 2008 that the church received more than Rs 1,000 crore in foreign funds over an 18-year span. Gospel For Asia (GFA) is a Christian mission organisation "committed to seeing communities transformed through the love of Christ demonstrated in word and deed". Believers Church is "an indigenous church in South Asia".