Minor boy in Ghaziabad lured into religious conversion through online gaming

The police said they registered an FIR on Tuesday on the complaint given by the boy’s father and initiated investigation.

The Ghaziabad police has registered an FIR, invoking provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, after a businessman’s minor son was allegedly lured to follow the practices of a different religion by a man from Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, whom he met through online gaming.

The police said the boy has cleared his Class 12 examinations and is aged about 17 years. (HT/ representational Image)

The police said they registered an FIR on Tuesday on the complaint given by the boy’s father and initiated investigation.

The family in their complaint mentioned that they noticed a sudden change in the behaviour of the boy and were shocked to see religious texts and other items on his mobile phone and laptop.

“After finding a change in his behaviour, we noticed that he often went out in the name of attending gym and did not return for hours. When I tracked his movement, it led me to a religious place in Ghaziabad (near his locality) where my son had been following the daily religious practices (of another religion). When we questioned the boy, he said he has accepted the other religion,” the father said in his written complaint to the police.

The police said the boy has cleared his Class 12 examinations and is aged about 17 years. The complainant further said he tried to persuade his son against the conversion but he threatened that he will move to the religious place if anyone in his family asked him to leave the house.

“When we inquired further, we identified that he was in touch with a man from Maharashtra through an online gaming portal. This is the same man from whom my son purchased some computer parts for ₹20,000 on July 26, 2021. I further found that my son was on long mobile calls to other different numbers. It seems my son has been trapped by a gang,” the complaint further said.

The FIR named the person from Maharashtra and also the caretaker of the religious place in Ghaziabad. The complainant has also alleged that the caretaker of the religious place, when queried about the boy’s conversion, could not reply satisfactorily.

“We have registered an FIR. The boy’s father has given a complaint that his son was subjected to religious conversion by people he met online. We are investigating the case and legal action will be initiated thereafter,” said Abhishek Srivastava, assistant commissioner of police (Kavi Nagar).