Conversion through online gaming: Suspect held in Mumbai, brought to Ghaziabad

The case relates to an FIR in which the boy’s father said that his son was allegedly following the practices of a different religion after allegedly coming in touch with the 23-year-old man

The 23-year-old man suspected of abetting the religious conversion of a 17-year-old son of a businessman in Ghaziabad, after meeting him through online gaming, was brought from Maharashtra by the police and produced before a Ghaziabad court on Tuesday.

Shahnawaz Khan, the prime suspect in the case, in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The police did not seek custody of the suspect, and he was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

The case relates to an FIR registered at Kavi Nagar police station in Ghaziabad on May 30 in which the boy’s father maintained that his son was allegedly following the practices of a different religion after allegedly coming in touch with the 23-year-old man through online gaming apps.

The Ghaziabad police registered an FIR while invoking provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act.

The FIR named Baddo (identified by police as Shahnawaz Khan), who hails from Maharashtra, and also a former caretaker of a religious place in Ghaziabad, identified as Abdul Rehman. The police said Baddo is the prime suspect, as it was he who allegedly persuaded at least four youngsters whom he met through online gaming apps to convert. Rehman was arrested on June 4, said police.

Baddo was finally traced on June 11 and was arrested by Thane police. A team from Ghaziabad police was also sent to bring the suspect to the city.

“The suspect was brought on transit remand from Maharashtra and he was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody after being produced before a Ghaziabad court,” Ghaziabad police assistant commissioner of police (Kavi Nagar) Abhishek Srivastava said on Tuesday afternoon.

Officers familiar with case investigation said the police did not seek Baddo’s custody on Tuesday but will seek it in the future as the investigation progresses.

“We scanned call detail records of Abdul Rehman and Baddo but could not find any connection between the two till date. We will now search for clues in the electronic gadgets used by Baddo. We have only one FIR in the case. During the investigation, we also came across three then minor boys who were also allegedly persuaded to convert after coming in touch with them through online gaming. One of them is from Faridabad, another from Ludhiana and a third from Ghaziabad. Their statements have been recorded and incorporated in the case investigation,” said an officer, asking not to be named.