Maharashtra: Nashik man arrested by UP ATS in religious conversion syndicate case
Atif alias Kunal Chowdhary was arrested from the Anand Nagar area of Nashik, by the UP ATS on Sunday in connection with a religious conversion syndicate case. Uttar Pradesh ATS constituted a six-member team to investigate the matter. According to the anti-terror squad, Atif has been associated with Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui in the religious conversion syndicate for two years. Siddiqui was arrested last week from Meerut.
Atif had studied medicine from Russia. After completing his medical studies from Russia, he could not qualify for the mandatory Medical Council of India (MCI) exam required to practise medicine in the country. Following this Atif started practising illegally in Nashik. ATS said he began to influence patients to convert to Islam.
As per information from the ATS, crores of rupees have been sent from abroad to various bank accounts of Atif to execute religious conversions.
Meanwhile, two more accomplices of Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui were arrested from Muzaffarnagar. Uttar Pradesh ATS arrested Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui from Meerut on Tuesday night for allegedly running a nationwide syndicate for massive religious conversion.
He was arrested three months after Delhi's Jamia Nagar residents Mufti Qazi Jahangir Alam Qasmi and Mohammad Umar Gautam were apprehended by the ATS on June 20. Qasmi and Gautam were running the Islamic Dawah Centre, an outfit allegedly working on ISI funding for converting deaf-mute students to Islam, according to officials.
According to UP Police, Siddiqui was involved in illegal conversions under the guise of various educational, social and religious institutions. Police said Siddiqui "misleads and intimidates" non-Muslims for religious conversion.
A local court has remanded Siddiqui in judicial custody till October 5.
