UP trader booked for converting man who left home 19 years ago: police

“It is alleged that Rashid recently converted the victim to Islam,” said Piyush Pant, station house officer of Shahabad.

The FIR was registered under various sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act after Satyam’s mother Manju Devi lodged a complaint against Rashid at the Shahabad police station. No arrests have been made so far.

The police plan to record the statement of Satyam, now Sameer, before proceeding further.

Manju Devi, a native of Hapur district, is married to Rama Nand, who works in a private firm.

According to the police, Manju Devi said her son Satyam left their home in 2005 after being scolded. Despite searching for him, the family did not file a missing-person report at the time.

In 2017, Satyam returned home and told his family that he had gone to Delhi and met Rashid while working at a shop. At that time, Rashid was running a tea shop in Delhi. Rashid brought Satyam to his home in Rampur, where he has been living since.

After spending a few days with his family, Satyam returned to Rashid’s house, despite his family’s efforts to convince him to stay back.

Manju Devi recently travelled to Rampur in search of her son but was unable to find him. She was told that he was now working in Delhi. She then lodged a police complaint alleging that Rashid had recently converted Satyam to Islam by luring him with money.