Doon court grants bail to 4 in Chhangur conversion case

Dehradun: The district court here has granted bail to the main accused, S B Krishna alias Ayesha Mahenur, a resident of Goa, and three others in the controversial conversion case linked to the Chhangur gang, citing the police chargesheet which stated that no direct or specific role of the four accused was revealed.District and sessions judge Prem Singh Khimal granted bail to Ayesha, along with Abdul Rehman Anwar Shaikh, his son Abdullah Shaikh and Abdul Rahim (alias Mahendra Pal Singh). Shaikh and his son are residents of Mumbai, while Rahim is from Delhi. All 4 remained in judicial custody since Oct 28, 2025. Ayesha is currently lodged in a jail in Agra.The case relates to alleged activities of the Chhangur gang, which came under the scanner of UP Police in 2025 over accusations of organised conversions. Investigators alleged that the network, led by Jalaluddin, also known as Chhangur Baba, was involved in facilitating conversions through inducements and financial assistance.Jalaluddin was arrested in July 2025, along with his associate Neetu (alias Nasreen), from a hotel in Lucknow.Several people from different states were arrested during the probe, including those accused of arranging logistics, financial transactions and documentation linked to the conversions.During the hearing on Thursday, the prosecution told the court that this was not a simple conversion but a criminal syndicate and that the main accused conspired with the co-accused.The prosecution told the court that the accused lured the sister of one of the complainants with a large sum of money and a better job, after which she was brainwashed and forced to convert. A case was registered in this regard last year at Premnagar police station in Dehradun under the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act and criminal conspiracy.The court noted that the chargesheet did not indicate any direct or specific role of the accused. It also acknowledged that another co-accused in the same case, Roopendra Singh, now Abdur Rehman after conversion, was granted bail (on Jan 31, 2026) and that, according to law, other accused facing similar charges should also be granted bail on the same basis.The court ordered the release of the accused upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and two sureties of the same amount.