UP forced conversion racket: Hearing on police remand of arrested accused in Lucknow court today

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 22 (ANI): A local court here on Tuesday will hear the application by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) seeking police remand of Mufti Qazi Jehangir Alam Qasmi and Mohammad Umar Gautam, who were arrested from Delhi in a case of forced religious conversion.

Earlier on Monday, the accused were produced in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Satyaveer Singh in Lucknow amid tight security. The court had sent both of them to judicial custody till July 3. The court will hear today the application of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) for police custody remand of the accused.

The UP ATS on Monday arrested Qasmi and Gautam from Delhi's Jamia Nagar area for their alleged involvement in religious conversion of people from economically weaker sections and students on the pretext of money, job and marriage as well as children with hearing and speech disabilities, informed Additional Director General (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar.

During the investigation, it was found that the accused were funded by some international organisations including Pakistan's ISI, said Kumar.

He stated that the arrested men run an organisation named Islamic Dawah Centre (IDC), along with their other associates, which the police said works on converting people to Islam.

"UP ATS arrested two persons for their involvement in religious conversion on the pretext of money, job and marriage of people from weaker economic sections and students. They also target children with hearing and speech disabilities. The parents of many such children have reported that their children have been converted against their will, taking advantage of their disabilities because such children cannot express their feelings. They run Islamic Dawah Centre through which they carry out this racket. The probe has revealed accused were funded by some international organisations including the ISI. Now their network is operating all across the nation," said the ADG.

He stated that in this case, the accused Umar Gautam of Batla House in Delhi was arrested after which his accomplice Jehangir Alam was also arrested. During interrogation, Gautam confessed that he himself has converted his religion, said Kumar.

He stated that further investigation revealed the two have carried out the religious conversion of more than a thousand people.

As per the police, the accused used to convert and radicalise people and were being funded by the ISI and other foreign organisations.

Besides children, not only this but many women were also married after being converted, the ADG said.

The police stated that the conversion racket is also operational in other states of the country.

According to the police, the accused used to create hatred among people towards their native religion and converted them to Islam.

The accused persons used to lure people to adopt Islam on the pretext of getting them jobs, money etc, said the police.

"Those who are still involved in this racket are also being traced and action will be taken soon," said GK Goswami, IG ATS.

According to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Office, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed investigating agencies to go into depth of religion conversion cases.

"Those who are involved in these cases should be detained under National Security Act (NSA) & their property should be seized. A team of Special Task Force (STF) busted a gang that illegally converted religion of 1000 people," the CMO said. (ANI)