Ex-pradhan, others on ED radar for ‘links’ with Chhangur Baba

As many as 14 people have been summoned for questioning on their association with Chhangur Baba and sale/purchase of properties over the past few years, says official

LUCKNOW The probe into money laundering allegations against Balrampur religious conversion racket kingpin Jalaluddin Shah alias Chhangur Baba and his associates has brought a former pradhan, a block pramukh’s son, a police personnel and revenue officials among others under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner.

These people, including a former village pradhan Jumman Miya of Utraula’s Madhpur village, who sold a land for ₹42 lakh to Chhangur Baba, have already been questioned in the matter, but the ED wants to know more about the money transaction in the land deal. (Pic for representation)

As many as 14 people have been summoned for questioning on their association with Chhangur Baba and sale/purchase of properties over the past few years, said an ED official.

These people, including a former village pradhan Jumman Miya of Utraula’s Madhpur village, who sold a land for ₹42 lakh to Chhangur Baba, have already been questioned in the matter, but the ED wants to know more about the money transaction in the land deal.

He said some more people, who were named by Chhangur Baba during interrogation, will also be called for questioning. The kingpin had accused Wasiuddin Chowdhary, Mohammad Ahmed and Santosh Singh of framing him in the religious conversion case as their demand of ₹70 lakh was not fulfilled by him.

Wasiuddin Chowadhary is said to be the son of a local block pramukh and a former associate of Chhangur Baba before he became his rival after some monetary dispute. Mohammed Ahmed is stated to be his associate and allegedly involved in most of the land deals executed by Chhangur Baba and his aides while Santosh Singh is claimed to be a police personnel, who had been probing the matter before a formal case of religious conversion was registered by the UP Anti Terrorisim Squad (ATS) on November 16, 2024, he said.

The ED is trying to uncover the extent of Chhangur Baba’s network and the details of his alleged financial dealings. He is accused of being the kingpin of a large-scale conversion syndicate that targeted economically backward individuals from the Hindu community, particularly those from the Scheduled Caste category. The investigation revealed that his network received approximately ₹60 crore in foreign funding, which was used for illegal conversions and other activities.