ED Files Money Laundering Case In UP Religious Conversion Racket, Agency To Look Into Foreign Funding

In connection with the religious conversion racket busted in Uttar Pradesh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case. Officials will look into whether the case received any foreign funding.

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Lucknow: In connection with the religious conversion racket busted by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (ATS) on 25th of June, four days after arresting two people from Delhi for allegedly forcing over 1,000 people to change their religion.

According to a senior ED official here, the financial investigation agency has opened a case based on the ATS's FIR into the alleged conversion racket with foreign connections.

The two suspects, Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi and Mohammad Umar Gautam had previously been apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) into the alleged conversion racket with international nations. 

According to the official, the financial investigation agency will look into the foreign funding and money laundering aspects of this case.

Following the arrest of two men who ran an organisation that converted deaf students and other poor people to Islam, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued an order under the Gangster Act and the National Security Act (NSA).

As per the Uttar Pradesh Police, the racket involved the conversion of deaf children and women to Islam, with over 1,000 people converted so far. More than a dozen children from a deaf and dumb school in Noida were also converted, according to police.

The two men in Delhi's Jamia Nagar were allegedly running an organisation in Uttar Pradesh that converted physically disabled students and other poor people to Islam with funding from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Following the filing of a FIR in the case at Lucknow's ATS police station, the arrests were made.

(With Agency Inputs)