<p>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.</p>.<p>The gang allegedly lured and converted Hindus, often through promises of marriage and money, they said.</p>.Cleric given 12 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting minor at madrasa.<p>Police have also rescued a man, who was held captive at a madrasa for forced religious conversion and marriage in Bareilly, the officials said.</p>.<p>“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.</p>.<p>“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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>Police recovered a large amount of incriminating material, including books, CDs and conversion certificates, from the madrasa, the officials said.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>Acting on her complaint, a police team raided the madrasa and found Upadhyay surrounded by the four accused, police said.</p>.<p>The probe revealed that the arrested individuals collectively operated 21 bank accounts with a high volume of transactions, police said.</p>.<p>Police suspect that the gang may have converted several others.</p>.<p>Six men previously converted by the accused have been identified, and their conversion certificates have been found, police said. </p>
<p>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.</p>.<p>The gang allegedly lured and converted Hindus, often through promises of marriage and money, they said.</p>.Cleric given 12 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting minor at madrasa.<p>Police have also rescued a man, who was held captive at a madrasa for forced religious conversion and marriage in Bareilly, the officials said.</p>.<p>“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.</p>.<p>“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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>Police recovered a large amount of incriminating material, including books, CDs and conversion certificates, from the madrasa, the officials said.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>Acting on her complaint, a police team raided the madrasa and found Upadhyay surrounded by the four accused, police said.</p>.<p>The probe revealed that the arrested individuals collectively operated 21 bank accounts with a high volume of transactions, police said.</p>.<p>Police suspect that the gang may have converted several others.</p>.<p>Six men previously converted by the accused have been identified, and their conversion certificates have been found, police said. </p>