Another conversion racket busted in Bareilly, UP

A major religious conversion racket has been uncovered in Bareilly, reminiscent of the infamous “Chhangur Baba Gang”, with the arrest of Abdul Majid, the alleged mastermind of a gang, along with three of his associates, Salman, Arif, and Faheem.

Abdul Majid, who is reported to have been operating a madrasa, is believed to have orchestrated conversions across the country.

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According to SP South Anshikha Verma, the gang has converted several individuals nationwide, including entire families in Bareilly. One such case involves a man named Brijpal from the Subhash Nagar area. The gang allegedly brainwashed him and arranged his marriage with a Muslim woman. Later, Brijpal’s sister was also married to a Muslim man followed by the conversion of their mother under pressure.

थाना भुता बरेली पुलिस द्वारा थाना भुता पर पंजीकृत मु0अ0सं0 377/2025 धारा 140(3)/351(3) बीएनएस व 3/5(1) उ0प्र0 विधि विरुद्ध धर्म संपरिवर्तन प्रतिषेध अधिनियम, 2021 से संबंधित 04 अभियुक्तों की गिरफ्तारी एवं बरामदगी के संबंध में सुश्री अंशिका वर्मा #SP South बरेली की बाइट।#UPPolice https://t.co/hOveW3QedX pic.x.com/YSnPOiNzS3

— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) August 26, 2025

Another victim, Prabhat Upadhyay from the Kotwali area, was similarly targeted and converted by the gang. Their next target was reportedly a B Com student from the Izzat Nagar area, but before the conversion could take place, Prabhat Upadhyay’s mother alerted the police, leading to the arrest of the gang members on Tuesday.

The gang operated in a highly-organized manner with clearly defined roles. Abdul Majid, the madrasa operator, is said to be the chief planner and executor of the conversions. Salman, a tailor by profession from the Kareli area, was responsible for luring people in and distributing religious books, CDs, and other Islamic literature. Arif, also from Kareli, assisted Salman in disseminating materials and influencing targets. Faheem, a barber, played the crucial role of identifying and gathering information about potential targets, enabling the gang to manipulate them more easily.

The police suspect that the gang received foreign funding. Initial investigations revealed over 2,000 transactions totaling around Rs 13 lakh in Abdul Majid’s bank account over the past eight months. Authorities also discovered that Salman and his wife hold 12 bank accounts, while Arif and Faheem have two accounts each. Investigations into these accounts are ongoing.

The police are continuing their interrogation and have not ruled out the involvement of more individuals or links to larger networks.

The bust came after heightened vigilance by the Bareilly Police following the activities of the Chhangur Baba gang. Authorities have vowed to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the full extent of the network and its possible international connections.