UP religious conversion racket: ED raids 2 places in Mumbai linked to ‘associate’ of Chhangur Baba

The action is part of ED’s crackdown on the alleged conversion racket under which the agency is also raiding 12 places in the Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh. The agency is investigating the money laundering and foreign funding aspects of the racket, which is suspected to have carried out dozens of financial transactions using bank accounts in foreign countries.

Sources in the agency said that while Chhangur Baba’s financial dealings were examined, investigators discovered transactions exceeding Rs 1 crore involving Sheikh. They noted Naveen alias Jamaluddin, another suspected close associate of Chhangur Baba, allegedly transferred this money into Sheikh’s account.

Naveen’s wife Neetu alias Nasreen is the owner of the house in Uttar Pradesh where Chhangur Baba had been living for the past few years. The couple, who hailed from Mumbai and were allegedly converted into Islam by Baba, have been arrested along with Baba and are currently in judicial custody.

The Uttar Pradesh Police, while acting on the complaint of a suspicious foreign funding racket to buy properties in India, unearthed the alleged religious conversion racket run by Chhangur Baba, who was living in the Madhpur area in the Rampur district.

According to the UP Police, the racket targeted non-Muslims from a financially weaker background. Victims, including widows, were systematically coerced into converting through allurements, financial aid, and false promises of marriage, as per the police.

The police also stated that none of the racket’s victims would dare to go against them, as they would be warned of direct legal consequences. They would charge around Rs 8-16 for the conversions, depending on the person’s religion, caste, and financial background.

During the inquiry, after finding sufficient material indicating a cognisable offence, the police registered a case last year at the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) police station in Lucknow, and a hunt for Baba was launched as he had gone into hiding. Earlier this month, Baba and Nasreen were arrested by the Lucknow ATS team from a hotel.

Police sources report that members of the alleged racket have travelled to Islamic countries multiple times in the past and opened numerous bank accounts, either under their own names or in the names of various organisations. Transactions involving these accounts have been found to total around Rs 100 crore.