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Conversion racket busted in UP’s Agra, four arrested
Healing meets were organised under the guise of birthday parties, targeting men and women called to such gatherings
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Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district arrested four people allegedly involved in religious conversion while organising ‘changai’ (healing) meets in the rural belt of Agra under the guise of birthday parties, targeting men and women called to such gatherings. Those arrested on Wednesday night are part of an interstate conversion racket, police added.
Confirming it at a press conference on Thursday, Aditya (goes by one name), deputy commissioner of police (west) at Agra Police Commissionerate, said information was received about such religious conversion at a village in Saiyyan area of the district on Wednesday night.
“On reaching the spot, a police team found that a group of men and women was being gathered in name of birthday party but a healing meet was on wherein the gathering was being promised riddance from illness, pain and were being lured and motivated for conversion,” the cop added.
“Four people identified as Vineet Vedi and Buntu aka Dongar Singh both from Rajasthan along with Agra’s Mukhraj and Pratap Singh were arrested. During their interrogation, it came to the fore that they were part of an interstate network operating in UP, MP, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Punjab,” the DCP said.
“The network was found involved in such activities in these states for the past three years but was active in the Saiyyan area of Agra for a couple of months. Those involved were receiving funds and literature which was also recovered. They used to undergo training for religious conversion through courses and specific tasks were assigned to different persons,” he added.
“Police investigation is ongoing, and the source of funding and literature is being worked out. Efforts are also underway to trace how many people have been targeted till date by the network,” Aditya said.
The accused would contact those suffering from illnesses and facing economic or family problems. These accused were active on social media to find new targets, police revealed.
A case was registered against those arrested under section 112(2) BNS and Section 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Act, 2021, at Saiyyan police station late on Wednesday night.
