Pune city police have issued a “leave India notice” to three American nationals for allegedly violating the norms of their visas by engaging in “religious preaching and teaching work”. The notice instructed the three foreigners to leave India on or before May 10, 2026.

According to the police, the three citizens of USA, aged 53 years, 65 years and 66 years, came to India on tourist visas between April 19 and April 21. During their travels in India, they were allegedly found carrying a huge number of leaflets with religious content in different languages in their bags for propagating Christianity, police said.

During the police inquiry, it was revealed the three American citizens were residing at a hotel in Pimpri-Chinchwad since the evening of April 26, and were moving around in the Pune region.

On the morning of April 27, they allegedly gave out leaflets in English, Hindi and Marathi, with content about the Bible and Christianity, to a private cab driver in Shukrawar Peth area of Pune city. They allegedly tried to preach to the driver that Christianity was better than other religions.

The driver informed police personnel, who were on duty at a rally passing through the area, about the American nationals. The three foreigners were then taken to the police station. Police checked their passports, visa documents and other details.

Police confirmed that the American nationals came to India on a tourist visa, but were allegedly carrying a huge number of leaflets with religious content in different languages, to propagate Christianity.

The trio was taken to the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) of the Pune City Police for further investigation. The FRO inquiry revealed that the foreign nationals violated the law by allegedly engaging in religious preaching work while they were on tourist visas.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (FRO) Sandeep Bhajibhakare confirmed that three were given a “Leave India Notice” as per the provision of Immigration and Foreigners Act, for violating visa rules.

Earlier, in July 2025, the Pimpri Chinchwad police had arrested two men, including a 41-year-old American national, and apprehended a minor boy for allegedly trying to convert people to Christianity by offering financial assistance.

A person from the Sindhi community had lodged the First Information Report (FIR) at Pimpri Police Station. As per the FIR, the accused allegedly approached the complainant at his residence in Pimpri for propagating Christianity.

They also allegedly offered financial assistance to the complainant if he accepted Christianity, the FIR stated. Police had then said that the accused American citizen had been coming to India since 2016 on tourist and business visas, but he was not found to be conducting any business activity here.