UP Cracks Down on Pan-India Conversion Racket, 10 Held; ISIS Links Suspected
Lucknow/Agra: In a sweeping crackdown, Uttar Pradesh Police have busted a major inter-state illegal religious conversion syndicate, arresting 10 operatives from six states under the state government’s zero-tolerance policy on crime. The action, carried out under Mission Asmita and supervised by CM Yogi Adityanath, marks a major strike against radicalisation networks.
Investigators say the group, operating through dark web channels and foreign jihadi funding, specifically targeted underage girls through inducements and “love jihad,” following ISIS-style tactics for mass conversions. Early leads suggest links to outfits such as PFI, SDPI and Pakistan-based terror organisations, with central agencies now roped in.
The arrested include Ayesha (Goa), Ali Hasan and Osama (Kolkata), Rahman Qureshi (Agra), Abbu Talib (Muzaffarnagar), Abur Rahman (Dehradun), Mohammad Ali and Junaid Qureshi (Jaipur), Mustafa (Delhi) and another Mohammad Ali (Jaipur).
Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, who led the operation alongside the STF and ATS, described the racket as “a grave threat to social harmony and national security.” Officials said further interrogations are likely to unearth a wider network and funding trail.
