Chhangur Baba Sent to 5-Day ED Custody in Illegal Religious Conversion Case

Chhangur Baba, also known as Jamaluddin, who is the main accused in an illegal religious conversion case, has been sent to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody for five days. This decision was made by the ED court on Monday.

Although, the ED had requested for seven days of custody but was granted five. The agency now plans to request a production warrant against Chhangur Baba for further legal action.

Multiple Arrests Linked to Conversion Racket

On July 26, the Agra Police and the Uttarakhand Police carried out a joint operation and arrested six people in connection with a religious conversion racket. This racket is believed to be linked to Chhangur Baba’s group, which is said to be operating from Pakistan and Dubai.

Dehradun’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh said that about ten days ago, the Agra Police came to Uttarakhand to look into a case about a man named Abdul Rehman, who was reportedly converted from Hinduism to Islam sometime between 2014 and 2015.

During the investigation, another victim came forward—a woman whose name after conversion was Mariyam. She claimed she was pressured into changing her religion.

Earlier, on July 20, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested another suspect in the same case. He was identified as Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay and taken into custody on a Saturday. This arrest followed the earlier capture of Jamaluddin and his associate Nasreen, who are believed to have led a wide religious conversion network across Uttar Pradesh and other states.

Funding Trail and Seizure of Properties Underway

According to Additional Director General (ADG) of Law and Order Amitabh Yash, the gang has been active for more than 15 years. They used tactics like emotional manipulation, administrative pressure, targeting children, and influencing public figures to push for religious conversions.

He also mentioned that the group received large amounts of money from foreign sources. “There were different charges for different types of conversions, and the money was handled through around 40 bank accounts,” ADG Yash said in a statement to ANI.

The authorities are now tracing the source of these funds. Any properties bought with this money will be seized and demolished as per the law. Chhangur Baba and Nasreen will be questioned further about their network, how the money moved, and the assets they acquired.

The ATS have already arrested everyone against whom they have found evidence. Another person named in the case is Mohammed Ahmed, and his involvement is still being investigated.

The ED has also requested a copy of the original FIR from the ATS to start its own investigation into the money-related part of the case. ADG Yash raised concerns over demographic changes in areas near the Nepal border, which have been under watch for some time. He hinted at the possibility of a larger conspiracy. On Wednesday, the ED searched 14 places linked to the case—12 in Utraula, Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh), and 2 in Mumbai.