Conversion under the guise of medical treatment is a tactic commonly associated with missionary conversion groups. However, a similar incident has recently surfaced in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. A Hindu couple, grappling with illnesses, arrived in Uttarakhand and met Hakeem Mufti Adil, who enticed them towards conversion. While the elderly male fell into his trap and began adhering to Islamic practices, the female informed their son, leading to a formal complaint. Currently, no arrests have been made in connection with this incident. Nevertheless, the accused has been charged under sections of the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act.
An FIR (number: 205/2024) was filed at the Ranipur Police Station in the Haridwar district on May 25 by Kundan Singh.
In his complaint, Kundan informed the police:
“I urge you to register a report and take legal action regarding the matter of religious conversion through deceit and the allure of money. My parents, Sangeeta (wife of Charan Singh) and Charan Singh (son of Kartar Singh), are both illiterate and simple, impoverished individuals. Due to their illnesses, they frequently visited a Hakim in Vikasnagar, Dehradun district, for treatment. This Hakim, Mufti Adil (son of Rifaqat), who resides near the police post in Vikasnagar, enticed my parents with promises of money and land, leading to their conversion to Islam.”
The FIR continued, “This Maulana has a history of targeting poor and illiterate individuals for conversion by offering financial incentives and is known to be very manipulative. Consequently, my family and I are under constant threat to our lives and property. Therefore, I respectfully request that you file a case of religious conversion against this Maulana and take necessary action to prevent him from legally converting any more poor and illiterate Hindus.”
The Haridwar police have filed a case against Mufti Adil, a resident of Vikasnagar, for coercing and enticing a Hindu couple to convert to Islam. He has been charged under sections 3 and 5 of the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act.
Speaking to Organiser on May 27, Sub-Inspector Manoj Kumar stated that the accused is currently evading arrest, but multiple police teams are actively searching for his whereabouts, and he will soon be apprehended.
Organiser reached out to Kundan, who, on May 27, recounted that they originally hail from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, and have been residing in Haridwar for the past decade. Over the last few months, they have been seeking treatment from a Hakeem. After consuming a powder provided by Hakeem, his parents began to adopt Islamic practices, like offering namaz and wearing skull cap.
Kundan alleged that besides the medication, Hakeem succeeded in persuading his parents to embrace Islam by promising them land and money. While his father has faith in Hakeem, his mother remains sceptical.
Speaking with Organiser on May 29, Sangeeta recounted that during her treatment, the maulvi repeatedly urged her to embrace Islam without charge. He engaged Sangeeta and her husband, Charan Singh, in lengthy discussions, explaining Islam and its potential to transform their lives. He also offered some money and property.
She said, “My elder son, who passed away recently had told me about the Hakeem saying he can cure my back pain. We went to his shop which had pictures of Islamic gods and texts, with big bottles of natural medicine and stuff. After having the medicine, my husband’s behaviour changed drastically, he became obsessed with Allah,”
However, she expressed distress over her husband’s, actions. She noted his newfound practice of reciting the kalma and prayers, his unwillingness to heed others, and his insistence on remaining with the maulvi, often chanting “Allah, Allah.”
She said, “The Hakeem gave him a book, titled, ‘Takreeb-e-Namaz’ and a mala to chant Allah’s name all day. Charan started to offer namaz and frequently visit masjid.”
At the time this correspondent talked to Sangeeta, Charan was not at home he had left home and was in some mosque. She says, he comes home and as soon as they talk about Hindu dharma and ask him to revert back he leaves home.
She says, when she called Hakeem, asking what has he done to her husband, the Mufti said, “It happens and I can see what was going on with Charan.” He claimed there was nothing wrong with Charan and hung up the call saying, “Inshah Allah theek ho jayenge”.
Sangeeta says, her husband has gone mad and that the Hakeem has done something to him.
She affirmed her commitment to remaining Hindu and wished to bring her husband back to the fold.
Sangeeta demanded the maulvi’s arrest and called for stringent action against him.
In response to the incident, Hindu organisations in Uttarakhand staged protests. Rakesh Uttarakhandi, a Hindu organisation official, labelled the event as ominous for the future and urged people to remain vigilant.
In May 2023, Organiser reported a case from Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, where a Dalit man named Uday Raj Kori embraced Islam after encountering a Muslim individual in Mumbai. He not only ceased attending the temple but also began frequenting mosques, donning traditional attire like kurta pajama and a skullcap. While in Mumbai, he befriended a boy named Danish, who introduced him to Islam. Troubled by his circumstances, Uday chose to embark on this new religious path. He immersed himself in Islamic teachings, commenced offering Namaz, and soon believed Islam held the answers to his dilemmas. Upon returning home to Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, for vacation and attending a nearby mosque for prayers, his family uncovered the truth. By then, he had been sufficiently influenced to defy his family’s wishes. After grappling with the situation for days, Uday’s father eventually lodged a police complaint against Danish. The FIR was filed on January 28, 2023, and on March 2, the district court of Kaushambi granted bail to the accused, who was charged under the Uttar Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.
In a similar incident reported by Organiser on March 29, 2023, from Madhya Pradesh, a Hindu man named Akshay Gaur converted to Islam after encountering a Muslim cleric when he left home distressed.
In November 2022, Akshay Gaur, a resident of Khandwa District, Madhya Pradesh, underwent ‘Ghar Wapsi’ through Shuddhi and embraced Hindutva. This decision followed his lodging of a complaint against cleric Aminuddin Qadri, who had previously converted him to Islam. Now, nearly four months later, the cleric and other religious leaders are issuing death threats against him, demanding the withdrawal of his complaint. In March, Akshay contacted this correspondent, expressing suicidal thoughts. On March 19, he attempted suicide and shared a video of the act. Fortunately, Akshay survived. Notably, Qadri had invited him to Islam, asserting that becoming a Muslim and praying to the one god, Allah, would secure him a place in Jannat (paradise), while failure to do so would condemn him to Jahannum (hell) and the fires of Dozakh Ki Aag. Subsequently, Akshay began frequenting the mosque, where the cleric urged him to extend invitations to Islam to his family members as well, promising that doing so would ensure their entry into paradise.
