In the ongoing probe into the Uttar Pradesh conversion case, the accused, who were caught in Lucknow on Saturday evening, said during strict interrogation of the ATS that they used to talk through sign language and code words. The ATS has decoded the code words. One code word remains to be decoded. A total of seven code words have come to the notice of the ATS with which the deaf and mute children involved in the gang used to talk.
A source told The Daily Guardian that the deaf children used sign language and some codes were prepared for them. All these have different meanings. These code words were used to provide or receive information ranging from being out of reach of the police to foreign funding.
Some of the code words are as follows: 1.Mutakki: This word was used to refer to conversations between children and others by repeatedly speaking; 2. Rahmat: This code word was used for funding coming from abroad, so that no one could have any suspicion. Foreign funding was negotiated using the word ‘Rahmat’; 3.Allah ke Bande: This meant social media code word used for conversion. Teachers of the deaf society used this code word. The students were motivated to convert by talking in code words; 4.Salat: This word was used for Namaz. The one who converts to Islam is given this responsibility. By saying this word again and again, the matter related to Namaz was said. It was also used in common parlance so that no one would be suspicious; 5.Mobile number and date of birth: stood for name of the conversion of religion; 6. Revert Back to Islam Programme: This code word was used for conversion. Teachers of Deaf Society used this code word. The students were motivated to convert by talking to this code word; 7. Stigma of the community: this is the code word that could not be decoded. This code word is being checked.
The Uttar Pradesh ATS on Monday had arrested three more people in the conversion case. In this, the interpreter of the Ministry of Child Welfare, Irfan Khwaja Khan, and two deaf and mute people who have converted, Rahul Bhola and Mannu Yadav alias Abdul Mannan, are included.
Additional Director General of Police Law and Order Prashant Kumar told the media that Irfan, who understood the language of the deaf and made them understand his language, started giving such knowledge to the deaf, due to which some deaf people started hating their own religion. Irfan Khan used to give knowledge of Islam to the deaf and dwelt on the “evils” of other religions. Prashant Kumar claimed that Irfan used to prepare the deaf and dumb to convert to Islam by giving various kinds of inducements.
After being successful, he used to go to the Islamic Dawa Centre and meet Umar Gautam to get the conversion certificate made from Jahangir Alam. Arrested Rahul Bhola, who himself is a deaf person, used to inspire other deaf and deaf people to convert along with Irfan. ATS claimed that Irfan and Rahul together got Mannu Yadav converted and all three together got Aditya Gupta converted.
Prashant Kumar said that these three were taken into custody and questioned for a long time. The ATS took the help of an interpreter to understand the language of Rahul and Mannu Yadav. He said that Rs 1 crore 82 lakh 83 thousand 910 were deposited in the accounts of Islamic Dawa Centre between January 2010 and June 14, 2021. A lot of money was deposited in cash.
He said that money also came in the account by cheques and about Rs 50 lakh was deposited from Qatar, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Prashant Kumar said that Umar Gautam used to create an organisation in the name of Fatima Charitable Trust and get funds in it. No registration of this trust has been done, nor income tax return ever been filed. This is a violation of the Foreign Currency Regulation Violation Act 2010.
