A scandalous religious conversion ring that was active in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district has been revealed, with a well-oiled racket headed by self-proclaimed Islamic preacher Jamaaluddin, alias Chhangu Baba. Investigations indicate that his gang brainwashed and forced conversions of Hindu girls belonging to Brahmin, OBC, and Dalit communities for almost a decade. The accused and his accomplice Nitu were arrested, while his illegally built “Alishan Bangla” resort was razed by bulldozers during the Yogi Adityanath government.
Chhangu Baba first appeared as a “Peer Baba”, enticing people by selling amulets (tabeez) and herbs. Over time, he developed a criminal syndicate wherein Muslim youths posed as Hindus, befriended vulnerable girls, and enticed them into mock love affairs. Once married, they compelled the girls to convert to Islam. Alarmingly, there was a set payment for every conversion: ₹16 lakh for a Brahmin girl, ₹12 lakh for OBC girls, and ₹10 lakh for Dalit girls. Even minor girls were not spared in this mass scale operation.
Financial probes identified more than ₹100 crore in 40 bank accounts belonging to the gang, with suspected foreign funding. Authorities feel the racket had an even larger agenda of systematically boosting Muslim population in India. The UP Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) shut down the operation, arresting important members and razing Chhangu Baba’s illegal properties.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has promised zero tolerance for such conversion efforts, referring to it as part of the “Love Jihad” conspiracy. Additional investigations are being conducted to find additional connections in what seems to be a pan-India religious conversion chain.
