In Uttar Pradesh, authorities have recently taken action against individuals allegedly involved in unlawful religious conversions, with arrests made in several separate incidents.
In one case, police in the Maudaha area of Hamirpur arrested four people for purportedly attempting to convert a Hindu family under the guise of curing an illness. The arrested individuals, Nooruddin, Khalid, Irfan, and Mohammad Hanif, were booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Authorities are also searching for a fifth suspect, Meraj Hasan. According to a complaint filed by Hindu right-wing groups, the accused lured a Dalit family into conversion.
In a separate incident, Uttar Pradesh Police announced the arrest of 10 individuals from six states for their involvement in a large-scale illegal religious conversion racket. The arrests spanned across Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Goa, in addition to Uttar Pradesh. According to police, those arrested were involved in illicit activities such as receiving illegal funds, providing safe houses for covert operations, offering legal advice, and providing assistance to facilitate conversions and radicalization. The investigation was initiated in Agra following the report of two missing sisters who were allegedly coerced into religious conversion and radicalization. Evidence also suggested that the racket received funding from the United States and Canada.
Furthermore, Uttar Pradesh Police have made significant progress in cracking down on unlawful religious conversions by arresting 14 individuals involved in a syndicate operating across multiple states. This operation was part of Mission Asmita, an initiative by the Uttar Pradesh government to combat illegal religious conversions and radicalization. The key accused in this syndicate allegedly traveled across India and abroad to carry out conversions using enticement tactics.
In another case, a self-styled godman from Uttar Pradesh, Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, was arrested for allegedly running a religious mass conversion racket. A victim came forward with a disturbing account of abuse, torture, and forced conversion attempts, claiming she was lured with job promises abroad. The UP ATS is investigating foreign funding links and the syndicate's operations across multiple states.
In Meerut, Ravi Kumar Azad alias Ravi Pastor, the main accused in a religious conversion case, was arrested for allegedly luring people with financial incentives to convert to Christianity. The case was registered based on a complaint alleging that Azad and his associates were coercing individuals from the Scheduled Caste community and other social backgrounds to convert to Christianity. The complainant claimed that the accused lured them with financial assistance and created psychological pressure to accept the religion.
