The Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA), the largest Protestant denomination in the country has suffered a major embarrassment as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today (September 9) attached assets worth ₹59.52 crore in Bengaluru for alleged illegal transfer of land leased to it by the Defence Ministry.
The ED has issued a Provisional Attachment Order under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) attaching assets worth ₹59.52 Crores. The attached assets are in the form of fixed deposits maintained and available with State Bank of India, Sudhamnagar Branch in the name of Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA).
The investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered at Ashoknagar Police Station, Bengaluru, against the CSITA for allegedly “dishonestly” entering into an arrangement for transfer of the title of a piece of land measuring 7426.886 square metres belonging to the Ministry of Defence.
The Church of South India (CSI) had fraudulently made claims of ownership over a land strip belonging to the Defence Ministry and in Aug 2019, the Defence Ministry had started a complaint against the CSI.
CSI had foraged its ownership over the same in lieu of a payment of ₹60 crore from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
After BMRCL acquired the land for construction of the Vellara Junction underground station it paid ₹60 crore as compensation to the Church of South India.
But things came to light when the Defence Estate Office (DEO) of the Defence Ministry, however, produced survey documents to prove that the land claimed by the Church belongs to it.
The DEO in a letter had mentioned, the said compensation should be paid to the Consolidated Fund of India.
CSI is a union of churches belonging to Anglican Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed sects. Its assets across South India are estimated to be nearly ₹1 lakh crore and receives at least ₹1,000 crore annually in the form of donations.