A chilling case involving human trafficking, forced religious conversion, and links to radical Islamic networks has emerged from Uttar Pradesh, revealing a deeper, sinister conspiracy that echoes patterns confirmed by NIA investigations and exposed by the Kerala Files movie.
According to the testimony submitted before the Kanpur court on July 1, a young minor Hindu girl from Phoolpur was deceitfully lured by alleged Islamist handlers on the pretext of a better life in Kerala. The girl recounted how the accused – Daraksha Bano and Mohammed Kaif – manipulated her into believing that Kerala, portrayed as a “land of good life and riches for Muslims,” would offer her prosperity – “Go to Kerala, be a Muslim, and enjoy good life and riches,” they told her.
Upon reaching Kerala, the girl, who belongs to Scheduled caste group, was reportedly pressured to convert to Islam and indoctrinated into supporting jihadi activities. The grooming did not stop at religious conversion – it allegedly involved exposure to anti-national propaganda, suggesting an organised network aimed at weaponising vulnerable non-Muslim girls, especially from Dalit backgrounds.
The accused, now lodged in Naini Jail under judicial custody, are expected to face charges under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. Preliminary investigations suggest they are part of a wider network operating across state lines, specifically targeting girls from impoverished Hindu families for religious conversion and radicalisation.
This disturbing incident mirrors the pattern identified in multiple NIA probes and cinematic accounts like The Kerala Files, where non-Muslim girls – particularly Hindus – were groomed by Islamist operatives, converted, and in many cases trafficked to Islamic nations either as jihadist recruits or sex slaves. The interlinking of trafficking, indoctrination, and terrorism presents a grim picture of a coordinated strategy to exploit religious faultlines and demographic vulnerabilities.
Prayagraj, UP: Minor Dalit Hindu girl (15) was brainwashed by "Darksha Bano" (19) and taken from Delhi to Thrissur, Kerala where she was introduced to suspicious people! Attempt to lure by making attractive promises! Attempt to convert Hindu girl & push her into Jihad terrorism! pic.twitter.com/QAfX0tpoJ0
— Kalu Singh Chouhan (@kscChouhan) June 30, 2025
In this Kanpur case, the dalit minor girl eventually managed to escape after realising the dangerous nature of the people around her. She reached the Thrissur Railway Station, where she alerted authorities and recounted her harrowing experience, triggering a full-blown investigation by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
As per sources, the police are now probing possible links between the accused and known anti-national organisations, and are tracing the routes and handlers used in trafficking similar victims.
This case has not only raised serious human trafficking concerns but also exposed how radical Islamist networks continue to weaponise religion, poverty, and gender vulnerabilities, using Kerala as a hub to launch operations with pan-India implications. The intersection of human trafficking, religious conversion, and radicalisation demands urgent national attention.
