In the high-profile Ayush Malik conversion case, the Shamli Police have arrested Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Taufeeq Qureshi, who is accused of being part of the conspiracy to convert Hindu businessman Ayush Malik to Islam.
Taufeeq Qureshi is the brother of Chandni Qureshi, the woman at the centre of the controversy. Chandni and her father, Islam Qureshi alias Niddu, were arrested earlier after an FIR was lodged by Ayush’s father, Devraj Malik, a prominent pharmaceutical businessman from Shamli.
Police officials have stated that further investigation is underway and the role of other accused named in the FIR is being examined.
What is the Ayush Malik conversion case?
The case came to light on June 6 after Devraj Malik filed a complaint at the City Kotwali police station in Shamli alleging that his only son, Ayush Malik, had been systematically influenced, converted to Islam and isolated from his family by Chandni Qureshi and her relatives.
According to the complaint, Ayush, a B-Pharma graduate who assisted in managing the family’s medical business, came into contact with Chandni Qureshi in 2018 while undergoing treatment for a leg injury at a local hospital. Chandni allegedly worked as a physiotherapist and developed a close relationship with him during that period.
Devraj Malik has alleged that the relationship was not merely personal but part of a larger plan to influence his son and gain control over the family’s substantial assets and business interests. He claimed that Ayush was gradually distanced from his family and persuaded to adopt a new religious identity.
Allegations of conversion and secret nikah
The FIR alleges that Ayush was taken to Delhi in 2023, where he was converted to Islam and given a new name. Investigators are examining documents relating to a reported nikahnama and claims that Ayush adopted a Muslim identity following the conversion.
The controversy intensified after photographs and videos purportedly showing Ayush participating in Islamic religious practices surfaced on social media, prompting demands for an investigation from local Hindu organisations and religious leaders.
However, the case has also seen conflicting claims. In a later development, Ayush reportedly stated that he had accepted Islam around 12 years ago and that the decision was voluntary, a claim that investigators are also examining as part of the ongoing probe.
Who has been named in the FIR?
According to the FIR accessed by Organiser, Devraj Malik accused Chandni Qureshi of conspiring with multiple family members and associates to trap his son.
Those named include: Chandni Qureshi, Islam Qureshi alias Niddu, Taufeeq Qureshi, Rahil Qureshi, Sumaila Qureshi, Rabia Qureshi, Aas Mohammad alias Aasoo Qureshi, Huma Qureshi, Salim alias Bhola and a Maulana identified as Munavvar. Along with other associates allegedly linked to the conversion process.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 61(2), 351(3), and 308(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
Police investigation expands
With the arrest of Taufeeq Qureshi, investigators are now examining the wider network allegedly involved in the case. Reports indicate that police are scrutinising the role of religious figures and individuals linked to the alleged conversion process, including persons based outside Uttar Pradesh.
Officials have not ruled out further arrests as they continue to collect evidence, verify documents and record statements from those connected to the case.
The case has generated significant public attention in western Uttar Pradesh and continues to remain under active investigation by the Shamli Police.
