A day after arrest in Nagpur, Chhangur Baba’s key aide brought to Lucknow

Eidul Islam was arrested in the early hours of Saturday during a joint operation by the UP ATS, Maharashtra ATS and local police

A day after arresting Eidul Islam, a key aide self-styled preacher Jalaluddin Shah alias Chhangur Baba, from Nagpur, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday brought him to Lucknow on transit remand, marking a major development in the probe into an alleged illegal religious conversion racket.

According to ATS officials, Islam had been evading arrest for nearly two years and allegedly played a crucial role in managing funds and logistics for the network headed by Chhangur Baba. (For Representation)

Eidul Islam was arrested in the early hours of Saturday during a joint operation by the UP ATS, Maharashtra ATS and local police. He was apprehended around 5 am from Ashi Nagar under Pachpaoli police station limits in Nagpur following specific intelligence inputs. Senior ATS officials said the operation was conducted cautiously in a narrow lane to avoid any law and order issues, and the accused was taken into custody without resistance.

They said Islam, son of Ghulam Yazdani and a resident of Aseem Nagar near Gausia Masjid in Nagpur, was wanted in the case registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow on April 10, 2025. The case involves serious charges under Sections 121A (waging war against the state), 153A (promoting enmity), 417 (cheating), 420 (fraud) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. A non-bailable warrant against him had earlier been issued by the Special ATS/NIA court in Lucknow.

According to ATS officials, Islam had been evading arrest for nearly two years and allegedly played a crucial role in managing funds and logistics for the network headed by Chhangur Baba. Investigators said Islam actively supported the syndicate’s operations across multiple regions. The investigation has also revealed that he ran an organisation named Bharat Pratikarth Seva Sangh, through which he allegedly appointed Chhangur Baba as the Awadh region president, expanding the latter’s influence in Uttar Pradesh.

Chhangur Baba was arrested on July 5, 2025 from Madhpur village of Utraula tehsil in Balrampur district. Police allege that he led a well-organised racket aimed at converting individuals from Hindu and other non-Muslim communities by targeting vulnerable groups such as poor labourers, widows and socially marginalised people. The alleged methods included coercion, financial inducements and manipulation through marriage proposals.

While the UP ATS continues to investigate the criminal conspiracy and conversion-related charges, the Enforcement Directorate is also probing the suspected money laundering aspect linked to the network. Officials said Islam’s arrest and subsequent production in Lucknow are expected to yield crucial leads into the syndicate’s funding channels, structure and other associates involved.