Religious conversion racket busted in Bareilly, 4 held

Bareilly/Bijnor: Four members of a gang allegedly involved in illegal religious conversion by brainwashing vulnerable individuals and families in Uttar Pradesh and other states were arrested in Bareilly on Tuesday following investigations and multiple tip-offs.The arrested individuals include gang leader Abdul Majeed, 35, of Faiznagar village; Salman Raza, 30, Mohammad Arif, 29, of Kareli; and Mohd Faheem, 24, of Saidpur Chunnilal village in Bareilly district. Another suspect, Mahmood Beg, is currently at large. Police believe the network is linked to Baba Chhangur, said to be the mastermind.SP (Bareilly South) Anshika Varma said the gang targeted one Brijpal of Subhash Nagar, by allegedly convincing him to marry a Muslim woman through prolonged influence. They had also arranged a similar marriage for his sister.In another case, police rescued one Prabhat Upadhyay of Aligarh. He was lured with the promise of marriage and taken to a madrassa in Faiznagar for conversion. His mother, Akhilesh Kumari, filed a complaint at Mahua Khera police station on Aug 25.Police said the accused also used to drug victims and collected donations from across the country to fund their activities.A case has been registered against five persons under BNS sections 140(3) and 351(3), and sections 3 and 5(1) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.SP Varma confirmed that the network extended beyond Bareilly, and investigations were underway to trace more victims.