By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Jul: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), in collaboration with Dehradun Police, has disclosed fresh links between the alleged religious conversion syndicate led by Maulana Chhangur, also known as Jalaluddin, and multiple districts in Uttarakhand. The widening investigation has brought into focus two key persons, namely Abdul Rahman and Mariam, who have been accused of targeting Hindu girls from the hill districts of Pauri and Jaunsar.
Investigating agencies claim that Rahman and Mariam have played instrumental roles in luring vulnerable girls from remote communities, many of whom subsequently disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Many affected families have filed complaints, prompting the Uttarakhand Police to open investigations under the state’s new anti-mass conversion laws.
This Uttarakhand connection surfaces amid revelations that the Maulana Chhangur led racket extends across several states and is involved in coercing over 1,500 Hindu women and thousands of others into religious conversion through deception, inducements, and threats. The ATS and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are jointly probing the network, which is believed to have received more than Rs 100 crore in foreign funding. This money was allegedly laundered through over 40 bank accounts some routed via Nepal. Sources also claim that the actual funding could be much higher and routed through the Hawala networks.
Sources suggest that Abdul Rahman was actively involved in facilitating conversion activities linked to Chhangur’s network and acted as a conduit within Uttarakhand. From his residence, police have seized several documents and digital devices, which are now under forensic review to extract potential leads. It is reported that Rahman is currently being interrogated to ascertain the magnitude and spread of this racket in Dehradun and surrounding areas.
Simultaneously, the name of a woman identified as Mariam from the Doiwala region has surfaced during the course of investigations. Subjected to intense interrogation by UP Police, her exact role remains uncertain, though initial findings hint at possible involvement. Authorities are gathering detailed inputs from local residents and cross-verifying data to establish the nature of her association with the network.
It may be recalled that several close aides of Chhangur, including his son Mehboob and a woman associate named Neetu alias Nasreen, have already been taken into custody. Investigators claim to have recovered a caste-based conversion ‘rate card’, listing the amount paid for each conversion, with Dalit and backward class women allegedly fetching higher amounts. Some senior local officials, including administrative and police officers are also under the scanner for allegedly turning a blind eye to the conversion operations.
In a particularly disturbing development, Harjeet Kashyap, a survivor who had earlier converted and later turned whistleblower, was assaulted in Balrampur after giving testimony against the syndicate, suggesting a deliberate attempt to silence witnesses.
The inclusion of Uttarakhand in the investigation has raised alarm, particularly as the Jaunsar-Bawar region is known for its culturally conservative and close-knit communities. The fact that young women from such areas have been reportedly targeted has caused considerable concern among social organisations and local leaders.
Raids conducted across Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai have yielded extensive documentary evidence, including records of foreign financial transactions, ideological training materials, and links to international collaborators. The scale of the network and its infiltration into sensitive regions has now prompted the authorities in Uttarakhand to initiate a deeper probe.
The Uttarakhand Police, in coordination with central agencies, are now trying to trace the methods used to identify and radicalise targets, the nature of indoctrination being carried out, and the extent of local support to the racket. Officials admit that the network’s operations may be more entrenched in Uttarakhand than initially believed.
Uttarakhand Police has confirmed that significant inputs have been received from UP Police and that all the aspects are under the probe now even as calls are being made for stronger state-level enforcement, robust protection for victims and whistleblowers, and greater transparency from officials involved in regulatory oversight.
