A family from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad has come forward with serious allegations against Jamaluddin, alias Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind of a large-scale religious conversion racket.
The family has also named one of his accomplices, Badar Akhtar Siddique, accusing him of luring their daughter into a trap under the guise of offering employment.
According to the family, their daughter has been missing since October 2019 after being manipulated and brainwashed into following Chhangur Baba.
They allege that she was promised a job opportunity in Dubai but was instead separated from her Hindu faith and indoctrinated.
The family further claims that Siddique, who operated under false Hindu identities, used emotional manipulation to entrap young girls, referring to the tactic as part of an ongoing love jihad operation.
Speaking to IANS, the victim's sister said that her sibling met Siddique in 2019 while pursuing a tour and travel course in Delhi.
"Badar lured her on the pretext of taking her around in cars and talking to her. She was taken to Delhi several times, where her mind was gradually captured. It is alleged that she was brainwashed through black magic. There is no trace of her sister since October 24, 2019. The last time Badar Akhtar Siddiqui took her in a Skoda car, which had curtains and three unknown people were riding in it," she said.
"My sister's behaviour had completely changed. She had stopped praying, was getting annoyed with the name of God and was cut off from her parents. She started talking about the Muslim religion and would only take the name of Badar Akhtar because she was under his control," she added.
She further said that the family received a few messages from the girl's phone until the end of October 2019, but the spelling and typing style were noticeably different, raising suspicion that someone else was operating the phone. Eventually, the messages stopped altogether.
The victim's family believes that both Chhangur Baba and Badar Akhtar Siddiqui orchestrated the conspiracy and are responsible for the girl's disappearance.
They claim to have been searching for her continuously since 2019, but without success. The family strongly feels that a thorough and strict interrogation of Chhangur Baba could uncover many more such cases across the state.
The victim's family has called for a full-scale investigation and strict action against those involved. Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is conducting an in-depth probe, which reportedly includes examining possible foreign links and identifying other potential victims.
Chhangur Baba, once a vendor selling rings and amulets on his bicycle, is now accused of running a sophisticated conversion syndicate funded by foreign money.
He hails from Rehra Mafi village in Uttar Pradesh and once served as its village head. According to officials, his entire empire, built on conversion-linked funds, is centred in the Uttaraula area of Balrampur district, which shares a border with Nepal.
Investigations have revealed that he controls funds worth Rs 106 crore, allegedly received from Middle Eastern countries, distributed across 40 bank accounts, along with at least two properties worth crores.
He was arrested on July 5 with his close associate Neetu alias Nasreen from a hotel in Lucknow, days after the racket was busted in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district.
Since the arrests, agencies have intensified investigations into his vast network and financial dealings.
Investigations are ongoing, and authorities are scrutinising documents and digital evidence to trace the full extent of the operation.
