Religious conversion, when forced or carried out through deceit, has become a contentious issue in India. Recent police investigations have brought to light disturbing patterns in this practice, showing that even the most vulnerable among us—those in shelter homes—are not spared from what can be described as ‘conversion vultures’.
Let’s find out about the new target of the conversion gang: the Shelter Homes, and how Delhi Police prevented a huge disaster in the making.
Delhi Police unearths a major racket
Just last week, Delhi Police uncovered a significant religious conversion racket operating within a shelter home in Turkman Gate, a locality in the national capital. The principal accused, Mohammad Kaleem, was arrested on June 9, 2023. The arrest came after the shelter’s caretaker, Sandeep Sagar, lodged a complaint alleging that Kaleem had been pressuring him to convert to Islam, luring him with the promise of a government job and financial incentives. When Sagar rejected his advances, Kaleem threatened to have him arrested on trumped-up charges.
The Delhi Police‘s probe into the case revealed the depth of Kaleem’s operation. He had established five Whatsapp groups used to disseminate Islamic propaganda in the form of videos and audios, intending to radicalize individuals seeking refuge at the ‘Rain Basera’ or night shelters in Delhi. The ultimate goal was to either coerce or force them to convert to Islam. Disguising these groups as welfare programs, Kaleem misled his targets into conversion.
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The ongoing investigation now involves interrogating the members of these WhatsApp groups. Delhi Police is also examining Kaleem’s bank records to ascertain any potential foreign funding intended to support this conversion operation. Since shelter homes and their administration comes under the purview of the provincial government, i.e. the Delhi government, it is unlikely that Kejriwal and his accomplices will escape the barrage of questions over the same.
Not an isolated incident
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In 2021, a similar conversion racket aimed at converting destitute children—particularly those who are deaf or mute—for terror-related activities was busted in Uttar Pradesh. A former IAS officer, Mohammad Iftikharuddin, was among the individuals arrested in connection with this case.
In a similar vein, just weeks ago, Madhya Pradesh Police orchestrated a significant operation that broke up a terror racket inspired by the Islamic State. The operation led to the arrest of ten individuals from Bhopal and one from Chhindwara, who are now under police remand. The ringleader of this group, a convert from Hinduism to Islam, named Saurabh Rajvaidya, later known as Mohammad Salim, was running an operation that involved converting people and then encouraging them to marry Hindu girls with the aim of later converting them—a tactic alarmingly reminiscent of certain incidents reported from Kerala.
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The individuals arrested in this operation were from various walks of life—computer technicians, tailors, auto drivers. One of them even ran a coaching center, Auditorium Tutorials, in Koh e Fiza, Bhopal.
These incidents highlight a worrying trend of religious conversion rackets exploiting vulnerable populations. It’s essential that law enforcement agencies and civil society remain vigilant to prevent such practices and ensure that the fundamental rights of every citizen are protected.
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