Agra Conversion Racket Had Pakistan Links; Girls From UP, Uttarakhand, And Other States Targeted, Told "Venomous Things" About Hinduism

A busted religious conversion racket, with 14 arrests so far, had links to individuals in Pakistan who helped influence young people to make them accept Islam, NDTV reported, citing Agra Police Commissioner.

The racket was busted last week with the arrest of 10 people from six states following an investigation into two sisters, aged 33 and 18, going missing from Agra.

One of the women had reportedly also posted an image of herself holding an AK-47 rifle on social media.

As the probe widened, four more people were taken into custody, raising the total number of arrests to 14.

Agra Commissioner Deepak Kumar stated on Saturday (26 July) that online games were sometimes used to target young people for conversion to Islam, with handlers from Pakistan playing a key role in the racket. 

According to police, the racket was being led by Abdul Rehman from Delhi—who converted to Islam in 1990—and Ayesha, a resident of Goa.

Girls from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Bareilly, Aligarh and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, and Jhajjar and Rohtak in Haryana, among other places, who were targeted by the gang, have been rescued.

According to Commissioner Kumar, the girls were made to talk to people with Islamic beliefs and they were told "venomous things" about Hinduism.

Two Pakistani nationals—Tanveer Ahmed and Sahil Adeem—assisted the gang in this brainwashing effort.

The girls were later added to WhatsApp groups where indoctrination intensified. If the families of the girls protested, their minds were poisoned against them too.

Kumar noted that at least three members of the gang were familiar with the dark web and used to communicate through it. They also used Signal app to evade interception by security agencies. 

Another tactic to target potential victims by the gang reportedly involved initiating chats during online games like Ludo. Conversations would gradually pivot to praising Islam, eventually nudging players toward conversion.

Also Read: UP Religious Conversion Racket: 14 Locations Linked To 'Chhangur Baba' Raided By ED; Cash, Gold, and Property Documents Seized