The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has uncovered a large-scale Islamic conversion racket operating in Balrampur district, allegedly involving foreign funding amounting to Rs 100 crore.
On July 5, the ATS arrested the prime accused, Jamaluddin alias ‘Chhangur Baba’, along with his wife from Gomti Nagar. Jamaluddin is believed to have led a nationwide network involved in illegal religious conversions.
Investigations have revealed that the entire family was part of the operation. Earlier in April, Jamaluddin’s son, Mehboob, along with a close associate, was arrested by the ATS.
Following the probe, a case has been registered against 10 individuals, including Jamaluddin, who had a Rs 50,000 bounty on his head.
Multiple FIRs filed across Uttar Pradesh in Rs 100 crore conversion racket
Several FIRs have been registered in various districts of Uttar Pradesh in connection with the recently busted Islamic conversion racket. As per the complaints, Jamaluddin and his associates allegedly coerced or lured at least 40 individuals into converting to Islam.
ADGP (Law and Order) Abhishek Yash stated that the Special Task Force (STF) launched an in-depth investigation into the racket, exposing the group’s widespread and organised activities.
“The STF uncovered a sophisticated operation where individuals were being converted through manipulation—ranging from romantic entrapment and false promises to coercion and inducement,” said the ADGP.
The investigation further revealed that the gang was also involved in the conversion of minors. Financial scrutiny of the operation showed that over Rs 100 crore had been funnelled into 40 bank accounts from foreign sources, allegedly to finance the illegal conversion activities, according to ADGP Abhishek Yash.
Based on the STF’s findings, a case has been registered, and the matter is now being investigated by the Anti-Terrorist Squad.
Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba allegedly provided financial support to Muslim men to lure Hindu women and convert them to Islam. According to the investigation, these men often assumed fake Hindu identities to gain the trust of their targets.
Once the women were lured or coerced into conversion, Jamaluddin reportedly conducted Muslim marriage (Nikaah) ceremonies between the men and the converted women.
Authorities also revealed that Jamaluddin and several members of his network had collectively travelled to Islamic countries nearly 40 times, raising further suspicion about the racket’s international links.
Jamaluddin set conversion rates based on caste, lived under Hindu identity while posing as Sufi saint: ATS
Investigations have revealed that Jamaluddin, the alleged mastermind behind the illegal religious conversion racket, had been living near Chand Auliya Dargah for the past 3–4 years with his family, posing as a Sufi saint under the name Hazrat Baba Jamaluddin ‘Peer Baba’. He even published a book titled Shijra-e-Tayyaba to promote Islam, according to an ATS officer.
Despite converting to Islam, Jamaluddin and his family continued using their Hindu identities for official documents such as passports, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and property records.
In one case, a woman from Lucknow was reportedly lured into a relationship by a Muslim man using a Hindu alias. She was later coerced into conversion by a woman named Neetu and others involved in the racket.
The ATS further revealed that Jamaluddin operated the network like a business, setting specific monetary incentives based on the caste of the woman being converted. The rate was reportedly Rs 15–16 lakh for converting Brahmin, Sikh, or Kshatriya women; Rs 10–12 lakh for OBCs; and Rs 8–10 lakh for those from other castes.
A diary recovered from Jamaluddin’s residence listed over 100 individuals who were potential targets for conversion. Given the scale and seriousness of the case, Uttar Pradesh Police have called for a multi-agency investigation involving the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Chhangur Baba amassed crores through foreign-funded conversion racket, Targeted Hindu women
According to reports, Jamaluddin—formerly a ring seller—accumulated immense wealth by running a well-organised religious conversion racket that primarily targeted Hindu women. Within just a year, he reportedly purchased properties worth crores, established showrooms and bungalows, and acquired luxury cars, all allegedly funded through foreign sources.
Jamaluddin has been residing in Balrampur for the past 3–4 years at a property originally belonging to a Hindu family: Ghanshyam Arora, his wife Neetu Arora, and their daughter Samale. The family was allegedly brainwashed and converted to Islam. Following their conversion, they adopted new identities—Jamaluddin, Nasreen, and Sabiha, respectively.
