Who is Changur Baba? From ‘taweez seller' to ₹100-Cr worth ‘conversion kingpin' under ED scanner
The Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Changur Baba, his son Mehboob and associates Naveen alias Jamaluddin and Neetu alias Nasreen are in police custody in the case.
The four have been booked under sections 121A, 153A, 417, and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 3, 5(1), 5(2), 5(3), and 8(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 at ATS police station in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. Nasreen's husband and Jalaluddin's son Mehboob were arrested in the same case on April 8 earlier this year while efforts are on to arrest 14 other co-accused in the matter.
Changur Baba, 78, also known as Jalaluddin Shah, is accused of targeting girls from several communities and even maintained a 'rate list' for conversions, officials said.
Changur is a term generally used for someone with six fingers. Jalaluddin is also said to have six fingers.
Changur, who used to sell rings and amulets on his bicycle and later became the head of the village,is from Rehra Ma village in Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh. Later, he used to lure widowers by promising incentives, financial help, and even marriage for religious conversion.
The federal probe agency is also expected to move a court soon, seeking custodial remand for the questioning of the Balrampur district-based baba, whose real name is Karimulla Shah.
The ED's Lucknow zonal unit filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)on Wednesday, taking cognisance of an ATS FIR against Changur Baba and some others at Lucknow's Gomti Nagar police station.
The ED has found preliminary inputs that suggest that the man amassed funds worth about ₹ 106 crore, mainly from the Middle East, in 40 bank accounts linked to him and his associates, agency sources told news agency PTI.
The agency alleged that Jalaludddin had established an "extensive network" operating from the premises of the "Chand Auliya Dargah" in Balrampur, where he regularly organised "large" gatherings attended by both Indian and foreign nationals.
Through his religious discourses, publication of a book, titled "Shijra-e-Tayyaba", and "psychological" influence, "promoted" Islam, while "systematically" inducing, coercing and manipulating individuals of other faiths – particularly Hindus, Scheduled Castes and economically-disadvantaged persons – into religious conversion, the news agency said.
These acts were part of a broader organised effort to carry out "mass conversions" and accumulate wealth through "deceitful" means, they said.
A report first carried by Hindustan Times said that Jalaludddin had amassed multiple properties in Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh), Pune (Maharashtra) and a band of luxury vehicles in the past decade. The officials said the sprawling property, located in Madhpur village under Uttaraula tehsil in Balrampur, which was demolished on Tuesday for being illegally constructed on gram sabha land, was spread over nearly three bighas and estimated to be worth ₹ 3 crore.
The ED has written to the ATS, Balrampur district authorities and the anti-money laundering cells of some banks, seeking information about the movable and immovable assets, accounts and finances of Jalaluddin as well as his family and those linked to him, the sources said.
The ED sources said they suspect that Jalaluddin undertook "illegal" constructions at residential, commercial and institutional premises, without obtaining the requisite land-use conversion approvals from the state government.
The ATS had said in a statement that "the poor, helpless labourers, weaker sections and widowed women were lured with incentives, financial aid, promises of marriage, or forced through intimidation, in violation of established procedures for religious conversion by the accused".
The poor, helpless labourers, weaker sections and widowed women were lured with incentives, financial aid, promises of marriage, or forced through intimidation.
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