Conversion case: Accused preyed on rural women from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has made another disclosure in the case of conversion. It has found a list of 33 women who were converted by the accused, mostly from rural areas. As per top ATS sources, Mohammad Umar Gautam and Qazi Jehangir, the two main accused in the conversion case, said that it was “easy to brainwash the girls of rural areas”. 

According to sources, after checking the list, it was found that most women were from rural areas, especially from states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. The gang members would lure them into their trap. After this, by brainwashing them, they would get them converted. 

During interrogation, the accused revealed that these young women, living in rural areas, were especially targeted after discovering that they were unhappy with the way they were being treated in villages. Taking advantage of this, the accused would reach out to these women pretending to be their sympathisers and then brainwash them.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police has expanded the scope of investigation in the conversion case. Now the incidents related to conversion are being closely investigated in all the districts. 

The ATS is now taking cooperation from the police of the districts to get the necessary inputs. The information received in the interrogation of Mohammad Umar Gautam and Qazi Jehangir Alam, who are on the remand of ATS, is also being confirmed immediately. 

Umar Gautam, 57, and Jahangir Alam, 52, both residents of Jamia Nagar in New Delhi, were arrested by the UP ATS last week for their alleged involvement in large-scale illegal conversions of people to Islam in UP and other parts of the country. 

The ATS claimed that the racket was allegedly funded by international organisations, including Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, for the conversion of specially-abled children and other vulnerable groups of society. The accused were involved in the conversion of over 1,000 people.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath early last week had ordered action under the Gangster Act and National Security Act against those involved in the alleged forced conversion of more than 1,000 people in the state. He had also ordered the confiscation of the properties of those who are accused in the conversion case.

The police then believed that the two accused targeted poor families, unemployed youth, and handicapped people, especially those who were hearing and speech impaired, children and forced them to change their religion. But now with the conversion of rural women coming into light, the case has taken a new angle.