Representative image showing a police officer.
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Bareilly: Uttar Pradesh Police has busted an inter-state religious conversion racket and arrested four individuals, including a madrasa cleric, officials said here on Wednesday.
The gang allegedly lured and converted Hindus, often through promises of marriage and money, they said.
Police have also rescued a man, who was held captive at a madrasa for forced religious conversion and marriage in Bareilly, the officials said.
“The arrested individuals have been identified as Abdul Majeed (35), a madrasa cleric from Faiznagar; Salman (30) from Kareli; Mohammad Arif, also from Kareli; and Faheem.
“A fifth suspect, Mehmood Beg, is currently at large. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law, including the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021,” SP (South) Anshika Verma said.
According to police, the gang's network spanned 13 states and 30 districts. The group would identify vulnerable individuals, including poor, unmarried youth, and those with disabilities.
Salman, a tailor by profession, would visit Hindu families on the pretext of offering help or introductions to Muslim girls. Faheem, a hairdresser, would also assist him by identifying the potential targets at his shop, police said.
Once a person was influenced, they would be brought to the madrasa for "brainwashing”, where they would be handed religious text and CDs to encourage their conversion, police said.
Police recovered a large amount of incriminating material, including books, CDs and conversion certificates, from the madrasa, the officials said.
The operation was launched after a complaint was filed by Akhilesh Kumari from Aligarh, who alleged that Abdul Majeed lured her son, Prabhat Upadhyay, a visually-impaired teacher, with the promise of marriage to a Muslim woman.
Upadhaya was allegedly held captive at a madrasa and forced to convert, with his name changed to ‘Hamid’. When his mother threatened to file a complaint, she received death threats, police said.
Acting on her complaint, a police team raided the madrasa and found Upadhyay surrounded by the four accused, police said.
The probe revealed that the arrested individuals collectively operated 21 bank accounts with a high volume of transactions, police said.
Police suspect that the gang may have converted several others.
Six men previously converted by the accused have been identified, and their conversion certificates have been found, police said.