Latest news with #Jamaluddin
The Print
18 hours ago
- The Print
'Healer' on bicycle to conversion syndicate with Rs 60 cr in banks: The journey of UP's Chhangur Baba
Well, at least until 5 July. Since then he has been in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad on the charge of orchestrating large-scale conversion and receiving unexplained foreign funding. Cut to 15 years later, and Jamaluddin has transformed. Now known as 'Chhangur baba' ('Chhangur' being the Hindi word for someone with 6 toes or fingers), he was driving a Toyota Fortuner with a bodyguard, and handing around Rs 500 to people he met. Balrampur/Lucknow: The sight of a man, riding a bicycle, carrying rings and other religious paraphernalia, was not unusual 15 years ago. But the fact that Jamaluddin had six toes on his left foot was definitely cause for comment—and memory—for residents of Utraula block of Balrampur in UP. The UP ATS arrested Jamaluddin and his associate, Neetu Navin Rohra, who goes by her converted name Nasreen, from a Lucknow hotel earlier in July. His son, Mehboob, and Nasreen's husband, Navin Rohra, were arrested in April on the same charge. The UP ATS has initiated a broader probe into an alleged syndicate of conversion to Islam and funding—mostly from the UAE—which resulted in assets worth crores for Jamaluddin and several plots of land. The UP ATS on Thursday arrested one more accused in the case, identified as Rashid Shah, who allegedly played an active role in the conversion racket and land deals. The latest arrest coincided with a wide-ranging operation by the Enforcement Directorate at 14 locations—12 in Balrampur and two in Mumbai. Over Rs 60 crore has been identified in 22 bank accounts allegedly linked to the conversion syndicate, to which money was transferred from Middle Eastern countries, predominantly the United Arab Emirates. 'The investigation is not limited to uncovering the modus operandi behind mass conversion, but will also probe the entire syndicate, including funding from foreign sources, a network of agents both in India and abroad, and the extent of the conversion racket,' the UP ADG Law and Order and Chief of the Special Task Force, Amitabh Yash, told ThePrint. Also read: 'Positive act' needed to show conversion to Hinduism—SC denies Christian woman's caste certificate plea Bicycle to Bajaj CT 100 and Toyota Fortuner Speaking to ThePrint, a 40-year-old shopkeeper in Utraula market said he wasn't in the least surprised that Jamaluddin or Chhangur Baba was now facing allegations of amassing immense wealth illegally. 'Every time he (Baba) used to come into the area, Naveen (his aide) used to go to the shops of locals, saying Baba has come directly to meet. People who had faith in his spiritual powers sought his blessings, kissed his palm and were paid Rs 500 each time,' the shopkeeper said, requesting anonymity. This unabashed display of riches and pomp was a phenomenon of recent years, though, Madhpur Gram Pradhan Amarnath Verma said. The eldest of the four sons of a farm labourer, from the neighbouring village of Rehra Mafi, Jamaluddin began his career as a 'healer' from a local shrine in Madhpur village. 'He used to sit on the ground with rings and other products outside the shrine, adjacent to his current sprawling residence in Madhpur. He also went around on a bicycle selling this wares to the villagers,' Verma told ThePrint. Eventually, he moved from bicycle to a motorcycle and then the Toyota Fortuner. These and his sprawling house, part of which has now been demolished by the local district administration after his arrest, are a visual manifestation of his rags to riches story. Jamaluddin's first break came in 2005, when he was elected Pradhan of Rehra Mafi, according to three villagers who spoke to ThePrint. The political rise, however, did not continue for consecutive terms, and he went back to his 'healing' business and selling rings. According to UP police officers, after losing the Pradhan's job in 2010, he visited Mumbai a few times and it was at this time that he met Mumbai-based couple Navin and Neetu Rohra at a Dargah. From the Sindhi community, the couple and their minor daughter were 'brainwashed' and converted to Islam, the UP Special Task Force has allegedly found in its preliminary probe. These conversions took place in November 2015 in Dubai, where they were issued a 'Certificate of Embracing Islam'. However, the UP STF, in its preliminary investigation, found that their travel dates to Dubai did not match their date of conversion in 2015. Moreover, their identification documents such as PAN and Passport are still in their original Hindu names, the STF has found. The same year, Jamaluddin's wife Kutubnisa won the panchayat election from his village, winning 360 out of 1,000 votes polled in the election as per records of the UP State Election Commission. By this time, Jamaluddin stayed mostly in his village, Rehra Mafi, except a trip to Saudi Arabia in 2018. Overall, through an analysis of information from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Lucknow, the UP STF found that Navin Rohra and Neetu alias Nasreen made 19 trips each to the UAE between 2016 and 2020 and 2014 and 2019, respectively. Rapid rise & Rapid unravelling Sources in the UP Police and villagers confirmed to ThePrint that the Baba's transformation started in the aftermath of the pandemic when the couple, Neetu alias Nasreen and Naveen, arrived in Utraula. Police officials and residents pointed out massive land deals in Balrampur, including one large residential campus in Madhpur village, which was bought and built over the last few years. Madhpur village pradhan Verma said that while high-end cars used to visit Baba at his Madhpur residence frequently, there was no clarity on either the extent of his syndicate or the source of his funds. 'Now that the agency has arrested him and we are looking at the reports, we can connect the dots of the story,' he told ThePrint in Madhpur, just metres from the Baba's campus. ThePrint had earlier reported that the Baba had local cops among his followers, and he extracted maximum advantage out of it to keep laws and agencies at bay. However, a tip-off to the STF in January 2024 set the ball rolling for criminal proceedings against him. By the time the STF shared its findings with the ATS in November 2024, it had allegedly unearthed an extensive network of agents and bank accounts used for the inflow of funds. The STF found that in eight bank accounts of Neetu alias Nasreen, there were credits and debits of Rs 13.90 crore and Rs 13.58 crore between February 2021 and June 2021. In one such bank account with the Bank of Baroda, there was a credit of Rs 5 crore from a foreign source, which the STF has flagged as suspicious. A similar scrutiny of Naveen Rohra's six bank accounts by the STF has revealed an inflow of Rs 16.22 crore through the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system and a cumulative amount of Rs 18.68 crore from the UAE. The UP STF has also scrutinised the eight bank accounts opened in the names of Chhangur's firms, such as Asvi Enterprises, Asvi Charitable Trust, Asipia Hassani Hussaini Collection, and Baba Tajuddin Asvi Boutique. However, the STF has been unable to scrutinise the six vostro accounts (bank accounts that a domestic bank holds for a foreign bank in the domestic bank's currency) of Navin Rohra, as per the report filed with the ATS for the registration of the case in November last year. Based on the FIR of UP ATS, the Enforcement Directorate opened an Enforcement Case Information Report on 9 July and scrutinised all the bank accounts linked to syndicate members and firms. In its investigation so far, the federal probe agency has found over Rs 60 crore in funding, mainly received from the Middle East, in 22 bank accounts of the syndicate members and firms. However, sources in the UP Police conceded 'a lot of unknown elements' about the syndicate as of now, such as the extent of the number of conversions carried out by the syndicate, as well as the involvement of funds from abroad. 'The accused and victims are giving us differing numbers of people converted and the amount of money received by the syndicate. In the interrogation, Jamaluddin has revealed some facts which need to be developed further. There are a lot of details on the extent of both funding and conversion which need to be investigated,' a UP Police officer said. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Conversion racket 'kingpin' Chhangur Baba had senior cops among his followers, global network of agents
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Afghan heroes left behind while bogus asylum seekers flock to Britain
Jamaluddin, not his real name, worked 'shoulder to shoulder' with British troops fighting the Taliban. A former colonel in the Afghan army, he is now living in hiding in a village north of Kabul, in fear of his life and attempting to stay one step ahead of the Taliban forces trying to hunt him down. His name was on the list of Afghans applying for asylum in the UK, whose details were leaked inadvertently, and with catastrophic consequences, by a British soldier working out of Special Forces headquarters in central London. Speaking by mobile phone, Jamaluddin is, by turns, petrified and furious. Not just at his abandonment by the British Government, but by a chaotic system that refused him asylum while allowing thousands of Afghans who falsely claimed they worked with British troops, and their families, into the UK. 'Among those evacuated, maybe only 20 per cent were genuine people who worked with British forces in Afghanistan and whose lives were in danger,' says Jamaluddin. 'They left behind colonels, commanders and deputy commanders of battalions while their drivers, cooks, gardeners, masseuses and shoe polishers were evacuated and are in Britain now.' There may be some hyperbole in his claims. He can be excused for that. But his claims are grounded in truth. The Government, behind the scenes, acknowledges that the 'vast majority' of the Afghans it has let in under various official resettlement schemes made bogus claims. 'Complete chaos' 'People who never said hello to a Briton and cannot even speak English are in Britain now,' says Jamaluddin. 'We had a driver who used to steal bullets and grenades that the UK and others gave to us and sell them to the Taliban – he took him and 150 of his family members with him to Britain. He is not a good person. He was evacuated during the chaos that was created after we heard about that leak. 'There are also people who took 70, 40, 50 family members with them to Britain: mother-in-law, fourth cousins. I know someone who took his sister's husband's brother's son's in-laws. It's complete chaos.' Official Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures disclosed to The Telegraph show that one single 'principal' allowed into the UK because of ties to the British military brought 22 dependents with him. That is a very big family. It is not hard to see how extended families even bigger than that may have slipped through the net. Jamaluddin says: 'People who had higher ranks added hundreds of people, friends and relatives to the list and took them out. I also know lots of people who had not even fired a single bullet but are in Britain now because they said they were in the army, and Britons fell for it. 'I cannot get my head around it. In one base, there was a guy whose job was to serve tea for people who would visit the base or clean tables. He is in Britain now, but the deputy commander of the same base is now hiding in Afghanistan. 'There are many of us who worked shoulder to shoulder with British forces still here, while our drivers and cleaners with a bad background are walking around London.' The mess has been exposed – and certainly highlighted – in the wake of a two-year court battle between the MoD and a number of newspapers, including The Telegraph. A super-injunction prevented the media from reporting the leaking of the spreadsheet, containing the names of nearly 24,000 Afghans who claimed to be working with British troops and were entitled to relocate to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap). Ministers 'panicked' Jamaluddin was one of the minority of people on the list whose claim for asylum was genuine. The data breach occurred in February 2022 and fell quickly into the hands of the Taliban, but journalists first learnt of it 18 months later in August 2023. The super-injunction – the very existence of which could not be reported – covered up the MoD's blunder, but also the extraordinary scramble to put in place a secret scheme to get Afghans on the list out of their home country and to the UK, seemingly regardless of whether their asylum claim was bogus. According to official documents, which were only revealed once the injunction was lifted on Tuesday, more than 16,000 Afghans were relocated to the UK because of the data breach. About 25,000 more are waiting in the wings. The cost of the data breach was put at £7bn but later revised down, although the financial cost has become something of a muddle. The Government estimated needing at least £20,000 per year per eligible person, with additional costs for health and education, to rehome them. The evacuation was done in secret. Parliament was not told, and neither were communities in places like Bracknell in Berkshire and Larkhill Army Camp in Wiltshire, which accommodated many of the Afghans. On average, each principal applicant brought with them seven family members. Some many more. Inside the MoD, the problems of rehousing large numbers of people secretly were vexing. One former official told The Telegraph: 'There were families made up of mid to high teen numbers. We certainly found that the many two, three and four-bed houses we had in the defence estate were often inadequate for the need and explored whether we'd need to knock two houses into one.' Another former senior official insisted that the MoD had wanted to keep the evacuations to married couples and their children, but the courts 'kept forcing us to accept much wider family members'. Baroness Cavendish, a Tory peer and former adviser to David Cameron, claimed that ministers had been seemingly 'panicked by the number of family members arriving'. Writing in the Financial Times, she said that in 2023 'several central and local government officials told me that the size of Afghan family groups was making it very difficult to find them places to live'. Godsend for bogus claimants One MoD paper, now reportable, that was circulated in March 2024 and became a part of the super-injunction court bundle, showed that before the leak officials were only allowing 10 per cent of additional family members to come in with eligible principals. In other words, Afghans trying to bring extended family into the UK were thwarted nine times out of 10. But after the leak, the ' increased risk ' left officials estimating that 55 per cent of extended family would need to be allowed in. The leap was huge. For bogus claimants, the data breach was a godsend. Suddenly, they could get to the UK and at a far swifter speed; ministers were alarmed that the Taliban were tracking them down. But the rush also meant genuine claimants have been left behind. Jamaluddin cannot understand it. 'Ah, brother, for the sake of God, what kind of process is this?' he says from his hideout. 'What kind of justice is it? What kind of human right is it? What kind of democracy is it? 'Everyone, I think, should know about it – how the real people were left behind and criminals were evacuated. You may want to laugh, but it's our reality.'
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Searches at 15 locations linked to Chhangur Baba in UP and Mumbai, Rs 60 cr funds identified: ED
THE DIRECTORATE of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow Zonal Office, on Friday said search operations were carried out at 15 locations linked to Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, his alleged close associate Naveen Rohra and others in Balrampur, Lucknow, and Mumbai under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in connection with a money laundering case. A press release issued by the ED said that 22 bank accounts linked to Chhangur Baba and his associates have been analysed so far. Funds amounting to more than Rs 60 crore received by Chhangur Baba and his associates have been identified, the release said. The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the ATS, Lucknow, recently, alleging a large-scale conspiracy involving unlawful religious conversions, utilisation of foreign funding, and activities posing a potential threat to national security. Chhangur Baba and his associates are alleged to have established an extensive network. Baba is also accused of systematically inducing, coercing, and manipulating individuals of other faiths — particularly Scheduled Castes and economically disadvantaged persons — into religious conversion. During the searches, several documents were seized which revealed that funds that are mostly 'proceeds of crime' were transferred to different people for purchasing a number of immovable properties worth crores of rupees and carrying out construction activities in these properties, the release said.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Politicians, Top Cop In Conversion Mastermind Chhangur Baba's 'Red Diary'
New Delhi: Days after it was revealed that Chhangur Baba, alias Jamaluddin, the mastermind of a religious conversion gang, had Rs 106 crore in foreign funding, a 'red diary' has emerged in the ongoing probe. The document, retrieved during a raid by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), allegedly contains the names of several politicians and former officials who allegedly received financial backing from Chhangur Baba during the 2022 state Assembly elections. Multiple agencies, including the ATS, the Special Task Force (STF), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), are now focused on this diary, which may provide evidence linking Chhangur Baba's sprawling Rs 106 crore foreign-funded empire. From Charm Seller to Political Financier Jamaluddin, known popularly as Chhangur Baba or Pir Baba, is a resident of Rehra Mafi village in Balrampur, a district bordering Nepal. He began his career selling rings and amulets on a bicycle. Then over the course of a decade, he built a multi-crore business model. Chhangur Baba's financial rise was fuelled by donations received from various Middle Eastern countries. Official estimates now suggest he maintained over 40 active bank accounts through which approximately Rs 106 crore was routed. Two of his properties -- one in Balrampur and another in Maharashtra's Lonavala -- are estimated to be worth over Rs 18 crore. The property in Lonavala, purchased in August 2023, was registered jointly in his and an associate's name. According to ED officials, a man named Mohammad Ahmed Khan sold the Lonavala land to Baba. An individual with the same name has also emerged as a suspected sender of funds into Baba's accounts. Political Links What is now under investigation is the alleged political patronage that Chhangur Baba cultivated. The red diary, according to sources, lists at least half a dozen politicians who are believed to have received substantial amounts of cash from Chhangur Baba. One entry in the diary allegedly details a payment of Rs 90 lakh to a former candidate from Utraula constituency for the 2022 assembly elections. Though the candidate lost, the diary indicates that Chhangur Baba was planning to back another -- a former IPS officer -- in the 2027 elections from the same seat. Over the years, Chhangur Baba is believed to have poured resources into political campaigns across Balrampur and neighbouring constituencies. According to sources, he played an active role in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, not only by funding candidates but also by mobilising his followers to vote en masse. Photographs of Chhangur Baba with gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was killed in 2023, had earlier gone viral on social media. Foreign Funding and Conversion Chhangur Baba was arrested alongside Neetu alias Nasreen from a hotel in Lucknow on July 5. He faces allegations of orchestrating illegal religious conversions targeting economically vulnerable individuals, including widows, daily-wage labourers, and members of Scheduled Castes, using money, coercion, and promises of marriage. A case was initially registered by the STF in Balrampur. The ED later opened its own inquiry under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on July 9. The ED is also examining whether funds were routed through shell entities or third-party organisations, some of which may have ties to institutions under the scanner for violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). On July 17, the ED launched simultaneous raids at 14 premises, 12 in Utraula and two in Mumbai. Simultaneously, the local administration demolished sections of an illegally constructed complex in Madhupur village, about 3 km from Chhangur Baba's native village. Official documents revealed that the land was government-owned, and the building, which was monitored by 15 CCTV cameras and housed two guard dogs, had long been under suspicion.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
ED raids 14 sites linked to Chhangur Baba in Rs 100cr laundering case
LUCKNOW: Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided 14 locations — 12 in UP's Balrampur and 2 in Mumbai — linked to Jamaluddin , alias Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind behind illegal mass religious conversions, as part of its probe in suspected Rs 100-crore foreign funding and money laundering racket. Preliminary findings indicate that around Rs 68 crore was routed through 18 bank accounts, with at least Rs 7 crore received in three months via foreign channels. The first search targeted Baba Tajuddin Boutique in Subhash Nagar, Utraula, allegedly run by Neetu, alias Nasreen, accused of counselling women for conversion. The women who agreed to convert were later taken to the mansion of Chhangur Baba. Later, ED searched the residence of Chhangur Baba's son Mehboob, and the homes of Jamaluddin and Nasreen, believed to have converted under Baba's influence. Teams also raided properties of three former village heads — Jumman Khan, Durgesh Kumar, and Santosh Trigunayat — and a local lekhpal whose wife, Sangeeta Devi, reportedly entered a profit-sharing deal with the syndicate. In Mumbai, ED searched two plush addresses linked to Shehzad Sheikh, a key aide of Chhangur Baba. ED said the case involves money laundering, illegal foreign funding, and document forgery.
