UP Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad arrests two for religious conversion of deaf and dumb children

The accused have been identified as Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi and Mohammad Umar Gautam. Both are residents of Jamia Nagar in South Delhi

The Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has busted a nation-wide religious conversion racket and arrested two people on Monday. The accused have been identified as Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi and Mohammad Umar Gautam. Both are residents of Jamia Nagar in South Delhi.

The UP Police said the racket involved the conversion of deaf children and women to Islam and more than 1,000 people had been converted so far. Police said more than a dozen children of a deaf and dumb school in Noida were also converted.

An FIR has been lodged with Gomtinagar police station under the state's new anti-conversion law. The name of the chairman of Islamic Da'wah Centre is also mentioned in the FIR.

Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and order) Prashant Kumar said they had evidence that the racket was being funded from abroad.

"Both were arrested after interrogation. We have got important evidence, documents of foreign funding," he said at a press conference.

During interrogation, the duo informed the police that they converted around 250-300 people every year.

"The deaf and dumb son of a couple living in Kalyanpur, Kanpur, was converted and sent to South India. Thousands of such cases have come to light. The people were promised money and jobs in lieu of conversion," said Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and order) Prashant Kumar.