The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday has reportedly  conducted searches at two premises in Jaisalmer linked to a Belgium-based non-profit organisation over the alleged misuse of foreign donations worth around Rs 5.10 crore.  On Sunday, the ED’s Jaipur zonal office conducted searches under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

The agency said two Jaisalmer residents, Deu Ram and his associate Gyan Chand, allegedly received more than Rs 5 crore from abroad for “proselytisation and conversion activities among vulnerable sections of society in Jaisalmer.” The funds were allegedly received from Amar ASBL, a Belgium-based organisation, which does not have FCRA registration in India.

According to the ED, Deu Ram and Gyan Chand received the money by declaring purposes such as educational services, cultural and recreational activities, and remittances from non-resident Indians for family maintenance and savings. The agency said most of the funds came from Amar ASBL, which was established in Brussels in 2011.

Belgian nationals Jose Goffinet and his son Salian Goffinet managed the organisation, as per ED. Although Amar ASBL has been working in Jaisalmer for around 14-15 years, it has not registered a trust or NGO in India. Instead, it operated through Deu Ram and Gyan Chand, according to the agency.

Amar ASBL describes itself on Instagram as “a little Belgian NGO organising and financing education of 125 children in India.” Its website says the organisation began after two friends, Sheliel and Jack, met a camel herder during a trip to India in January 2011. The man wanted to educate his six-year-old daughter Bhagwanti but could not afford her school fees. The two friends initially supported her education and later extended help to six more children. This led to the creation of AMAR in November 2011. The organisation said the number of children supported rose to 125 by 2021.

The ED alleged that Deu Ram received the foreign donations without FCRA permission by “mis-declaring the purpose, and ultimately used these funds for his personal expenses and for influencing the cultural and religious beliefs of vulnerable sections under the garb of providing educational services to their children under the influence of Belgium entity.”

The agency said the funds were reported to banks under different purpose codes, including family maintenance and savings, educational services, cultural and recreational services, commission agent services and employee remuneration. ED alleged that none of the services was actually provided to Amar ASBL and that the funds were instead used for its activities in Jaisalmer.

Of the Rs 5.10 crore received, Deu Ram allegedly withdrew around Rs 2.60 crore in cash. The ED said no proper books of accounts or financial records were maintained for the foreign donations.

The agency also said Jose and Salian Goffinet regularly visited Jaisalmer for two to three weeks each year. They allegedly met the children’s parents and relatives and organised meetings and religious gatherings “to promote their cultural and religious beliefs and practices.”

After banks recently stopped accepting foreign remittances into the accounts of Deu Ram and Gyan Chand, the ED alleged that attempts were made to route the money through personal bank accounts of other people linked to them in Jaisalmer. The searches recovered “incriminating documents” and digital evidence. The investigation is ongoing.

Last month, the ED also searched two premises in Jaipur linked to a pastor over alleged receipt of more than Rs 2 crore from a US-based donor for proselytisation activities “among Dalit Valmiki and Tribal Bhil communities in Jaipur and southern Rajasthan.”