UP ATS arrests Chhangur Baba's aide who helped trap vulnerable targets
The accused, Rashid Shah (40), is a resident of Madhpur village in Balrampur.
He was wanted in a 2024 case connected to the state's biggest conversion racket. Officials said he was traced and apprehended during a focused operation in Balrampur and is being produced before court for further legal action.
The arrest is linked to a case lodged at ATS Police Station, Lucknow, under Sections 121 (waging war), 417 (cheating), 420 (fraud), 153A (promoting enmity) of IPC, and Sections 3, 5(1), 5(2), 5(3), and 8(1) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021.
According to ATS sources, Rashid Shah acted as a recruiter and facilitator, introducing vulnerable individuals to the conversion network and coordinating with handlers. He allegedly arranged safe meeting spots, influenced targets with monetary benefits, and ensured logistics for conversion rituals orchestrated by Chhangur Baba's syndicate.
ATS officials believe Rashid played a pivotal role in expanding the network's reach in Balrampur and adjoining districts, often under the guise of offering financial aid and spiritual counselling. His arrest is expected to provide crucial leads about funding patterns, local accomplices, and foreign links.
ATS plans to seek custodial remand to extract details of his links with hawala-funded activities, property deals, and possible cross-border connections exposed during recent ED raids tied to the same racket.
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