Guntur, Andhra Pradesh: In a shocking development, the Old Guntur Police have registered a criminal case under Section 420 IPC r/w 34 against Bishop Jayarao Polimera of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Eluru and several others, after explosive allegations of fund diversion, cheating of donors, and large-scale financial fraud surfaced in connection with the Prema Seva Charitable Trust, Gowripatnam, West Godavari District.
The FIR dated 15th November 2025 stems from a detailed complaint filed by Potumeraka Lakshmi Durga (40), a social worker and RTI activist from Guntur, who accused the Bishop and his associates of “brazen violations,” “misuse of religious authority,” and “deliberate sabotage” of the Trust’s flagship free-meal program. (Police booked IPC sections instead of BNS because the offence period preceded 1 July 2024.)
According to the complainant, the Trust—armed with an FCRA license (010180182) and known statewide for its massive Nithyannadanam program—has been feeding thousands daily for decades and has collected nearly Rs. 7.5 crore in public donations, mostly from Hindu donors. She herself contributed Rs. 10,000 and encouraged several others to support the Annadanam project.
However, the narrative allegedly changed dramatically after Bishop Jayarao took over the Eluru Diocese. Despite having no official role in the Trust, he and his team allegedly took control, interfered in administration, and disrupted the Annadanam program, going directly against the wishes of donors and the Trust’s bylaws.
The complaint accuses Bishop Jayarao, along with Father Raju, Moses, Dhara Ravi, Father John Peter and Annadanam contractor Nageshwar Rao, of misusing funds meant for feeding the poor, failing to provide meals to visiting pilgrims and forcing them to leave the ashram hungry, diverting public donations for personal benefit, openly violating the Trust’s regulations, and illegally collecting money from devotees without issuing receipts. The complainant further alleges that Fathers Raju and John Peter personally collected these unrecorded donations from pilgrims, kept a substantial portion for themselves, and passed a share of the illegally collected money up the chain to the Bishop.
In an alarming claim, she states that banners were put up inside the Trust premises itself, warning pilgrims not to donate, saying they “will be cheated.” Loudspeaker announcements reportedly repeated the same message—an unprecedented move that raised massive suspicion among donors and devotees.
The most serious allegation in the complaint is the illegal transfer of Rs. 31 lakh on 2 May 2025 from the Trust’s bank account to the Eluru Diocese account, allegedly using a cheque signed by an unauthorized person.
The complainant said she obtained this information from credible sources. Although the amount was reportedly re-deposited after the bank manager realized the legal implications, she alleges the Bishop used his influence to escape accountability.
Calling the incident “a clear case of criminal breach of trust,” she demanded immediate action against the Bishop, his associates, and the concerned bank manager, including recovery of the diverted funds and restoration of the Annadanam program as per donor intent.
Old Guntur Police have registered a Zero FIR and transferred the case to Devarapally Police Station in West Godavari district, where the Prema Seva Charitable Trust is located, for a full-scale investigation.
LRPF Files Separate Complaint to South Indian Bank Over “Fraudulent Transfer”
In another development, the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) has submitted a separate complaint to the Nodal Officer of South Indian Bank, seeking an immediate investigation into what it terms a fraudulent and unauthorized transfer of ₹31 lakh from the Prema Seva Charitable Trust to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Eluru.
According to the complaint, on 02 May 2025, an amount of ₹31,00,000 (thirty-one lakh rupees) was unlawfully withdrawn from the Trust’s Bank Account No. 0248053000026412, maintained at the branch concerned, and transferred to the Diocese’s account. The transfer was allegedly executed through Cheque No. 1005922, which was processed by the Branch Manager despite the cheque bearing the signature of an unauthorized individual, rather than the officially registered and verified signatories of the Trust. LRPF states that the transaction was carried out without the knowledge, consent, or approval of the Trust’s managing body, and therefore represents a deliberate abuse of banking authority.
The complaint argues that this act is a direct violation of the RBI Master Direction on KYC (RBI/DBR/2015-16/18), the RBI Master Circular on Customer Service in Banks (DBR.No.Leg.BC.21/09.07.006/2015-16), and RBI’s Internal Control and Anti-Fraud Guidelines, all of which require strict due diligence, signature verification, and robust safeguarding against unauthorized account operations.
Furthermore, LRPF notes that allowing an unauthorized person to operate the account and processing a high-value cheque without proper verification constitutes a contravention of Sections 46 and 47A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which hold bank officials personally liable for willful misconduct and regulatory violations. The actions also appear to amount to “Deficiency in Service” and “Unfair Banking Practice” under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021, making the matter fit for escalation if immediate corrective steps are not taken.
A copy of the complaint has also been marked to the Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, with LRPF seeking urgent intervention, investigation, and appropriate action against those responsible.
Arise Bharat 
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