In a breakthrough against forced religious conversions in Uttar Pradesh, new details have emerged in the probe against Jamaluddin, alias Chhangur Baba, the mastermind behind a multi-crore Islamic conversion racket operating across Balrampur and the India-Nepal border regions. The racket, now under the lens of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), involved intricate planning, foreign funding, and a disturbing network of fake identities and emotional entrapment aimed specifically at vulnerable Hindu women.
According to investigative reports by Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar, Jamaluddin and his associates operated the racket using coded language to evade detection and conceal their operations. Hindu women were derogatorily referred to as “Project,” while conversion was termed “Mitti Palatna” (meaning “soil tilling”). The code word “Kajal” was used to denote the act of inducing mental trauma, while “Darshan” referred to a meeting with Jamaluddin himself.
Targeted Conversion Strategy
Sources in the investigation revealed that Jamaluddin had devised a meticulously organised strategy to lure Hindu women, particularly widows, financially weak individuals, and young women manipulated into relationships. He employed Muslim men, offering them financial incentives based on the caste of the Hindu women they converted.
These men would assume fake Hindu identities, creating bogus social media profiles with Hindu names, often presenting themselves as caring and modern partners. Once emotional attachment was established, conversion to Islam was presented as a precondition for marriage.
Offers of scholarships, jobs, and foreign opportunities were also dangled before some targets. In many cases, these promises were accompanied by derogatory narratives against Hinduism, with Jamaluddin positioning himself as a spiritual guide. His tactics involved psychological manipulation disguised under the garb of religious salvation and social upliftment.
The Nepal Link: Madrasas and Foreign Funds
The racket extended beyond Balrampur, with its tentacles spread across border districts adjoining Nepal. Jamaluddin had set up multiple madrasas and religious schools, mainly targeting children from impoverished backgrounds. These institutions reportedly operated on a pipeline of foreign donations, primarily from Gulf countries.
Sources in the UP ATS and Special Task Force (STF) confirmed that international NGOs and Islamic institutions based in Nepal were involved. Jamaluddin reportedly made frequent visits to Nepal to meet with representatives of these groups and ensure the smooth operation of his conversion network.
Preliminary investigations have uncovered a funding trail exceeding Rs 100 crores, funnelled into 40 identified bank accounts linked to Jamaluddin and his network. These transactions are now under forensic audit by financial intelligence agencies.
Who is Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba?
The mastermind of this racket, Jamaluddin, hails from Rehra Maafi village in Balrampur. Before rising to infamy, he ran a small-time business dealing in gemstones and rings. Over time, he adopted the persona of ‘Chhangur Baba’, projecting himself as a holy man and gaining trust among the rural Hindu population.
He was arrested on July 5 by the Uttar Pradesh ATS, and is currently under interrogation. Earlier, his son Mehboob was arrested in April 2025 in connection with the same racket. The initial crackdown was launched by the UP STF, which later handed over the investigation to the ATS after uncovering links to international funding and radical elements.
Jamaluddin is reported to have accumulated immense wealth, including luxury vehicles and real estate assets across several states. His social media presence, despite being under multiple aliases, showed a lavish lifestyle and frequent religious outreach programs meant to recruit more agents into his network.
Nexus with Mukhtar Ansari’s Network
UP Police sources have confirmed that Jamaluddin maintained active ties with the Mukhtar Ansari crime syndicate, a notorious network with multiple cases of extortion, arms smuggling, and political intimidation. The exact nature of collaboration is still under probe, but authorities believe that the conversion racket may have had political protection and backing from larger radical outfits.
Earlier Accusations and Escalation
This is not the first time Jamaluddin’s name surfaced in a religious conversion case.
In December 2022, a Dalit Hindu family from Balrampur had filed a complaint accusing Chhangur Baba and his associates, Nasreen (alias Neetu) and Naveen (alias Jamaluddin), of beating and threatening them to convert to Islam. That complaint, however, was not pursued with seriousness at the time.
The current investigation has rekindled outrage among the locals, with Hindu organisations demanding an NIA probe and immediate sealing of madrasas operating under suspicious foreign funding. The VHP and Bajrang Dal have conducted multiple awareness campaigns across Balrampur, urging families to stay alert and report suspicious activities.
Current Status of the Investigation
So far, 10 individuals have been named in the FIR, with multiple arrests pending. Authorities are closely tracking funding channels, beneficiaries of scholarships, and digital evidence, including coded chats, fake IDs, and audio-visual material promoting religious hatred.
The Balrampur conversion racket stands as one of the most deeply coordinated religious conversion scams unearthed in recent years in India. With foreign funding, caste-targeted incentives, psychological manipulation, and organised recruitment, this operation by Jamaluddin, alias Chhangur Baba, has sent shockwaves across Uttar Pradesh and beyond.
