Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 26 Jul: A second FIR has been registered by the Dehradun police in an illegal religious conversion case, this time at Prem Nagar police station limits. The investigation has revealed links to an international network allegedly operating from Pakistan and Dubai, funding religious conversions in India. A total of six accused have been arrested, while two are currently absconding.
According to officials, the gang had targeted a young woman named Sumaya, who had come to Dehradun from Bareilly for higher studies. She was reportedly brainwashed over a period of 4 to 5 years. The gang primarily focused on emotionally vulnerable girls who were isolated from their families. They gained the victims’ trust and gradually pushed them toward conversion to Islam and arranged marriages with Muslim men.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajai Singh said that Sumaya is a talented wall-painting artist and an educated woman. The gang lured her with promises of jobs abroad and opportunities to showcase her art internationally.
Police found that the gang contacted her through the online game Ludo, where she became friends with Tehseen, a Pakistani man working in Dubai. Tehseen introduced her to his friend Suleman, a resident of Dehradun, who also works in Dubai. The two became close over time, the SSP confirmed.
Sumaya was also in touch with one of the accused, Ayesha alias Krishna, who had herself converted from Hinduism to Islam. Ayesha built trust with Sumaya, provided her with Islamic books, and shared positive information about Islam. She also introduced Sumaya to a Kashmiri woman, who began teaching her the Quran through the Zoom app.
During her time in Doon, Sumaya promoted and sold her artwork on Instagram. Through her growing online network, she came into contact with individuals who told her that those who convert to Islam from other religions are called “Reverted Muslims”. She then joined a group called “Revert to Islam”, where she began interacting with people from Pakistan, Egypt, the UK, and other Muslim countries.
In her statement to police, Sumaya said that in 2022, a friend from Bareilly recited the Kalma to her over a Zoom call and told her, “Now you are a Muslim, and you must live your life according to Islamic teachings.”
The investigation revealed that the gang consisted of several members who had themselves previously converted from Hinduism to Islam. These members offered financial aid, shared religious literature, and encouraged the girls to convert. Some girls were taught the Quran online by Pakistani clerics, while others were connected to Islamic networks through social media platforms.
Another victim, Maryam, was given a SIM card, a mobile phone, and a cab to help her escape to Delhi, where she was to be kept in a safe house, converted, and married off. However, she panicked at the last moment and refused to leave her home.
The gang had a system in place for illegally transferring money from India to Pakistan using fake bank transactions. One of the victims was instructed to receive money in her account and transfer it further to a contact in India, helping route the funds internationally.
Due to strict anti-conversion laws in Uttarakhand and the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the gang shifted their operations to Delhi, where they planned the conversions and marriages.
Police have confirmed that the same gang is also under investigation in Agra, where several members have already been arrested. Police are working to bring these accused to Uttarakhand for further legal action. Two key suspects, Ayaan and Suleman, are currently absconding, and teams have been formed to arrest them soon, police said.
