Agra religious conversion racket: Pakistani links exposed during probe; online games also used to lure youths

The ongoing investigation into the inter-state religious conversion racket, in which at least 14 people have been arrested so far, has exposed alleged Pakistani links to the case, an Uttar Pradesh police officer said on Saturday.

 

Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar said the names of two Pakistani influencers, who used to preach on conversion, have come to light during the probe.

 

"Names of two Pakistani influencers, Tanveer Ahmed and Sahil Adeem, have come to the fore. Both used to preach religious conversion and speak on why one should embrace Islam. This is also a challenge to national security," Kumar told reporters.

 

During the investigation, it was found that people were invited for religious conversion and intellectual discussions. Among the invitees was a group of girls from Kashmir.

 

The officer claimed that online games were also used to lure the youth and convert them to Islam, and handlers from Pakistan played a key role in the racket.

 

The conversion racket was busted on July 19 when UP Police arrested 10 people from six states. The probe began in Agra in March after two sisters—aged 33 and 18—were reported missing.

 

The investigations revealed they were allegedly coerced into religious conversion and were undergoing radicalisation.

 

On June 21, Abdul Rehman, a resident of Firozabad, who is suspected to be the kingpin in the case, was arrested in Delhi. According to police, Rehman himself converted to Islam in 1990.

 

“Earlier, the kingpin of this racket was Kaleem Siddiqui. But in 2021, UP STF arrested Siddiqui, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024. After that, Rehman took charge of the conversion racket," Kumar had said.

 

On July 23, three more suspects were arrested, taking the total number of people held in connection with the case to 14.

 

Those held have been identified as Junaid Qureshi (30), Abdullah (20), and Abdul Rahim (27)—all three residents of northeast Delhi.

 

The arrested individuals are accused of luring women into relationships and subsequently pressuring them into conversion. 

India