Shahnawaz Khan alias Baddo, the prime accused wanted by UP police for allegedly operating a racket involved in the religious conversion of youngsters through an online gaming application, has been arrested from Raigad district of Maharashtra, an official said on Sunday.
He was arrested from Alibaug town.
Ghaziabad Police were searching for Khan, who hails from Mumbra township in Thane district of Maharashtra, the official said.
Khan is being taken to Mumbra for questioning, he said while refusing to elaborate.
As per the case details, Khan and the cleric of a mosque in Ghaziabad were booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act based on a complaint.
A man from Ghaziabad had lodged a complaint with the police last month alleging that the cleric and Baddo had unlawfully converted his son, who recently passed the class 12 board exam, to Islam, police had said.
The complainant alleged that his son came in contact with Baddo through an online gaming app and frequently spoke to him, following which he got inclined towards adopting Islam, the police said.
The boy told his father that he had converted to Islam after being convinced by Baddo, according to police.
Published 11 June 2023, 15:49 IST