A Canadian national was held in Jorhat for breaching visa regulations and participating in unauthorised evangelical activities. He was deported to Toronto from Delhi on Friday.

The deportation occurred after a prompt investigation by Jorhat police in coordination with Kolkata's Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

Shwetank Mishra, the SP of Jorhat, said, "On Feb 4, we received an information that a Canadian national, Brandon Joel Devealt, who had entered India on a tourist visa, was engaging in evangelical activities in Jorhat. Upon inquiry, it was found that he was involved in proselytisation and was operating from the Grace Church located on Jail Road in the Borbheta area of Jorhat town".

Devealt had entered India on a tourist visa but was found participating in religious gatherings and promoting Christianity, which directly violated the conditions of his visa. In India, tourist visas strictly prohibit foreign nationals from engaging in missionary work or religious conversion activities. Furthermore, authorities discovered that his visa had already expired on January 7, 2025, adding to the legal infractions against him.

Mishra also said, "During the investigation, it became evident that Devealt was not only overstaying his visa but also actively participating in activities that were against the terms of his visa. Such actions are a serious breach of Indian laws,".

A "Leave India Notice" was issued to Devealt by Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) when news of the violation was swiftly reported to the FRRO in Kolkata. 

On February 6, Jorhat police officials escorted him to Kolkata airport, where he was transferred to Delhi. In the early hours of Friday, he was placed on a flight to Toronto, bringing his unauthorised stay in India to an end.

"The entire deportation process was carried out following proper protocol and in coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies," the SP briefed later.