Latest news with #AgraPolice
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Conversion racket: Six linked to Chhangur Baba held in Uttarakhand; aide's properties demolished
Chhangur Baba NEW DELHI: The Agra and Uttarakhand police, in a joint effort, have arrested six individuals linked to the Chhangur gang, an international religious conversion racket operating out of Pakistan and Dubai. Confirming the arrests on Saturday, Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajay Singh also revealed how the accused, Chhangur Baba, tried to bypass the state's anti-conversion law by shifting the process to Delhi. SSP Singh said the Agra Police team had been in Uttarakhand for the last ten days as part of the investigation. He added that a case had been registered based on Mariyam's complaint, and another victim had also been identified during the investigation. "A team of Agra Police from UP came here 10 days ago in regard to a case. A man named Abdul Rehman was converted to Islam from Hinduism in 2014-15. When we investigated the case, we learnt about a victim whose converted name was Mariyam. She was pressurised for conversion," said SSP Singh. "We also traced another victim, whose converted name was Sumaiyya. All the accused in the case were associated with a gang in Pakistan and Dubai. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo All six main accused in the case have been arrested by the Agra Police. The investigation is in a primary stage. And both cases of conversion have been registered," he added, as quoted by ANI. "As anti-conversion laws have been implemented in Uttarakhand, the victims were called to Delhi for conversion. " Meanwhile, in Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh, authorities began demolishing properties linked to Sabroz, an aide of Chhangur Baba alias Jalaluddin, the main accused in the mass conversion case. Balrampur circle officer Raghavendra Pratap said the construction was found to be illegal and prior notices had been served. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested another accused in the case, Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay. His arrest followed those of Chhangur Baba and his close aide Nasreen, believed to be the masterminds of the alleged syndicate. According to ADG (law and order) Amitabh Yash, the gang had been operating for over 15 years, using various methods including honey-trapping, exploiting minors, and administrative pressure to facilitate religious conversions. "A significant amount of foreign funding has been traced to the gang," he said, as reported by ANI. "The syndicate used nearly 40 bank accounts and had different rate cards for various types of conversions. The ATS is tracking the sources of these funds. Yash added that properties acquired using illegal funds would be seized and demolished. "Chhangur Baba and his main associate, Neetu alias Nasreen, will be interrogated regarding their network, financial trail, and assets. The process to seize and demolish their illegally acquired properties has begun. All individuals against whom there is evidence have been arrested. Mohammed Ahmed is also named in the case, and further investigation is underway," the ADG said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also stepped in, seeking a copy of the FIR to probe the financial trail. Officials believe the proximity of the region to the Nepal border could indicate a wider conspiracy involving demographic changes. As part of its probe, the ED conducted raids at 14 locations on Wednesday- 12 in Utraula, Balrampur, and two in Mumbai- marking a significant escalation in the investigation.
The Print
6 days ago
- The Print
Three more held in Agra religious conversion case
In a statement issued by Agra Police, it was revealed that the three suspects were arrested from Agra's ISBT area based on names that emerged during interrogation of previously arrested suspects. Police teams had been dispatched for their arrest, and they were held on Wednesday. With these latest arrests, the total number of individuals held in connection with the case has risen to 14. Agra, Jul 23 (PTI) Agra Police on Wednesday said it has arrested three more accused in the ongoing investigation into a religious conversion case registered on May 4, 2025, under multiple sections of the BNS and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. Those held have been identified as Junaid Qureshi (30), Abdullah (20), and Abdul Rahim (27) – all three residents of northeast Delhi. According to the police statement, one of the accused had allegedly held a Scheduled Caste woman from Haryana captive and forcibly arranged her marriage to co-accused Junaid through a qazi in Rajasthan. The arrested individuals are accused of luring women into relationships and subsequently pressuring them into conversion. Abdul Rehman was allegedly in contact with Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, a figure previously linked to conversion rackets. The trio allegedly created fake documents to facilitate the conversions. PTI KIS MNK MNK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
Three more held in Agra religious conversion case
Agency: PTI Agra, Jul 23 (PTI) Agra Police on Wednesday said it has arrested three more accused in the ongoing investigation into a religious conversion case registered on May 4, 2025, under multiple sections of the BNS and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. With these latest arrests, the total number of individuals held in connection with the case has risen to 14. In a statement issued by Agra Police, it was revealed that the three suspects were arrested from Agra's ISBT area based on names that emerged during interrogation of previously arrested suspects. Police teams had been dispatched for their arrest, and they were held on Wednesday. Those held have been identified as Junaid Qureshi (30), Abdullah (20), and Abdul Rahim (27) – all three residents of northeast Delhi. According to the police statement, one of the accused had allegedly held a Scheduled Caste woman from Haryana captive and forcibly arranged her marriage to co-accused Junaid through a qazi in Rajasthan. The arrested individuals are accused of luring women into relationships and subsequently pressuring them into conversion. Abdul Rehman was allegedly in contact with Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, a figure previously linked to conversion rackets. The trio allegedly created fake documents to facilitate the conversions. PTI KIS MNK MNK Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Indian Express
2 sons of key accused among 3 more held: Agra police in illegal religious conversion racket case
TWO DAYS after the arrest of the 60-year-old 'prime accused' in connection with an alleged illegal religious conversion racket, the Agra police on Wednesday said three more persons linked to the network have been arrested, including two sons of the key accused from Delhi. The total number of people taken into custody in connection with the case has now risen to 14. The racket was uncovered during an investigation into the abduction of two women from Agra. The prime accused, Abdul Rehman — believed to be a close associate of Kaleem Siddiqui, who is currently serving a life sentence in a case related to illegal religious conversions — was arrested two days ago from his residence in Delhi, where police also claimed to have rescued a girl reported missing from Haryana. On Wednesday, the Agra police arrested Abdul Rehman's two sons — 20-year-old Abdullah and 27-year-old Abdul Raheem — along with their associate, 30-year-old Junaid Qureshi. Commissioner, Agra, Deepak Kumar said the names of three persons came to light during investigation into the case. Police claimed to have recovered objectionable Islamic literature and mobile phones from the possession of the accused. The recovered phones reportedly contain suspicious data, which is being examined, said police, adding that the three accused are well-versed in computers and technology. The Agra police said the woman, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste and was traced two days ago from Abdul Rehman's residence, alleged in both her police and court statement that she was detained by Abdul Rehman, who tried to persuade her to convert. She also claimed that a person married her without revealing his true identity, and a Qazi was brought from Rajasthan to solemnise the marriage, said Commissioner. A police team is being dispatched to Rajasthan to trace and question the Qazi involved. According to officers, the three arrested accused lured young women into the network and brought them to Delhi, where Abdul Rehman allegedly facilitated their religious conversion. Police added that the group also arranged for fake documents linked to the victims to be prepared. The police said Abdullah said in his statement that it was he and the rest of the group who were running the racket after the arrest and conviction of Kaleem Siddiqui. Earlier, on Saturday, Agra Police arrested 10 people from six states, claiming to have uncovered a nationwide network involved in illegal religious conversions. The case emerged during a probe into the alleged abduction of two women from Agra in March. Police said the accused targeted young girls, especially minors, using deceptive methods, including love jihad, to convert them. The two women were traced from Kolkata in West Bengal. Police said the group used foreign funding for conversions and spreading radical beliefs, 'in a manner similar to how ISIS operates'. A police officer added that the initial investigation suggests the group may have links to organisations such as PFI, SDPI and some extremist groups in Pakistan.
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Indian Express
‘Conversion racket': After Saturday's raids, Agra police arrest ‘conversion kingpin' from Delhi
AS PART of an ongoing probe into an illegal religious conversion racket busted two days ago with the arrest of 10 people from six states, the Agra police on Monday arrested a 60-year-old Delhi resident, who they said is a prime accused in the case and had himself converted from Hinduism to Christianity and later to Islam in the 1990s. Police said the accused, Abdul Rehman, was allegedly leading the illegal religious conversion racket with the help of three co-accused who are now on the run. He was arrested from his residence in Delhi on the basis of information provided by the accused who were arrested two days ago and are currently in police custody. 'Abdul Rehman is a close associate of Kaleem Siddiqui, who is serving a life sentence in a case related to illegal religious conversions. Hailing from Firozabad, Rehman converted to Islam after first embracing Christianity,' said Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar. He added that Rehman, whose original name was Mahendra Pal, had moved to Delhi in the 1990s, where he underwent religious conversion. Rehman was one of four persons managing Kaleem Siddiqui's illegal religious conversion racket following Siddiqui's conviction, said Kumar. Police are conducting raids to locate the remaining three accused. Police said the racket members used to refer to Rehman as 'Rehman Chacha' or 'Rehman Uncle.' Police said that during the investigation, it was revealed that Abdul Rehman also used to provide logistical support to members of the illegal religious conversion racket. During a raid at his residence in Delhi, police claimed to have found a girl from Rohtak, Haryana. Upon contacting their Haryana counterparts, it was confirmed that a missing person report had been filed for her there, said the commissioner. Police also claimed to have recovered documents from the house written by convict Kaleem Siddiqui, in which Abdul Rehman's name was mentioned. On Saturday, Agra Police arrested 10 people from six different states, claiming to have exposed another nationwide network allegedly involved in illegal conversion activities. Police said the network was uncovered while investigating the alleged kidnapping of two sisters, aged 33 and 18, from Agra in March this year. As the investigation moved forward, evidence pointed to a group working across several states. Police said the accused were allegedly involved in targeting young girls, especially minors, across different states by using deceptive methods, including love jihad, to convert them to another religion. They are also suspected of promoting radical ideas and receiving money from Canada and other foreign countries. According to police, the group used religious jihad and foreign funding for conversions and spreading radical beliefs, in a manner similar to how ISIS operates. A police officer added that the initial investigation suggests the group may have links to organisations like PFI, SDPI, and some extremist groups in Pakistan.
