Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), dog squad, local police along with the Central Industrial Security Force started a search operation. (Representative image)
Credit: PTI Photo
Balrampur: A UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) team on Friday arrived at the Madhpur village in Utraula with Chhangur Baba, and collected vital documents from his mansion, in connection with the case of alleged forced religious conversions, police sources said.
The ATS team spent about an hour interrogating Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba before departing for Lucknow with crucial information.
On Wednesday, the UP-ATS secured a week-long custody of Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind of a religious conversion racket, who was arrested last week.
Alongside him, another suspect, Neetu, also known as Nasreen, was taken into custody for the same duration.
A total of four individuals were arrested in connection with the case, where they allegedly acted in an organised manner to convert Hindus and individuals from other non-Muslim communities to Islam, the police said.
The ATS obtained the custody of Chhangur Baba and Neetu from July 10 to July 16 after approaching an NIA court, the UP Police said.
Both were held in the Madhpur village in the Balrampur district on July 5.
Chhangur Baba had a non-bailable warrant issued against him and carried a Rs 50,000 reward on his arrest, authorities stated.
Two other co-accused, Naveen alias Jamaluddin and Chhangur Baba's son Mehboob, were arrested in April and are currently lodged in a Lucknow jail.
Subsequently, on Wednesday, authorities bulldozed the alleged illegal properties on government land constructed by Chhangur Baba.
On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remarked that preliminary investigations indicated that Chhangur Baba's activities were not only anti-social but also "anti-national".