New Delhi: Umar Gautam, 57, and Jahangir Alam, 52, both residents of Jamia Nagar in New Delhi, were arrested by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday for their alleged involvement in large-scale illegal conversions of people to Islam in UP and other parts of the country.The ATS claimed that the racket was allegedly funded by international organizations, including Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, for the conversion of specially-abled children and other vulnerable groups of society. The accused were involved in the conversion of over 1,000 people.
Umar Gautam, the kingpin of the conversion gang, had also come to Kanpur 11 times in the last five years. During this, he had organized many meetings regarding conversion at different places, in which only deaf children were on the list. After these developments came to light, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has intensified its investigation.
In the investigation conducted by the ATS so far in the conversion case, it has become clear that Kanpur was a major center of the Islamic Dawah Center (IDC). So far, about a dozen cases of conversion have been reported from Kanpur. In these, the ATS and the Commissionerate Police are working secretly. ATS investigation has revealed that Umar Gautam visited Kanpur at least 11 times in the preceding five years.
Some visits lasted a few hours, while at times he stayed here for two to four days. According to ATS sources, maximum funding has flowed in from the Philippines. He also wanted to make every center financially strong, sources said.