The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind behind a large-scale religious conversion racket, on a five-day remand.
The agency is probing foreign funding and property acquisitions linked to him and his network, amounting to over ₹63 crore.
On Tuesday, Chhangur was questioned about international financial transactions and property investments. However, sources indicate he largely remained silent or gave evasive answers. When asked about foreign funds and real estate deals, he reportedly told ED officials, “Ask Neetu Naveen Rohra alias Nasreen. The properties belong to her.”
Officials say Chhangur shifted the entire responsibility for the financial dealings onto Nasreen in a bid to mislead the investigation. So far, the agency believes he withheld key details about the money trail.
During questioning, the accused admitted to ties with Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay, a court clerk, but did not disclose the purpose of their association or the assistance he may have received in legal matters. Even when confronted with alleged financial transactions between him and Upadhyay, Chhangur chose to remain silent.
The ED is particularly focused on a transaction of ₹4.11 crore used to acquire property in Balrampur, believed to be from illicit funds. Investigators suspect violations under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are working to trace the original sources of foreign funding and how it entered India.
The agency is scrutinizing bank accounts and properties linked to Chhangur, Nasreen, and her husband Naveen Rohra. They are also trying to identify the domestic conduits through which foreign funds were funneled.
Chhangur will be in ED remand which will expire on August 1 at 5 pm. His legal counsel, Azizullah Khan, argued in court that his client, being an elderly peson, is suffering from multiple health issues, requesting regular medical check-ups during custody. While the ED had sought a seven-day remand, the court granted 5 days after hearing both the sides.
The ED is intensifying efforts to unravel the financial architecture behind the alleged conversion racket, with a focus on uncovering the key players and funders behind the scheme.