Inside Chhangur Baba’s illegal ’empire’: Mansion with power station, imported marble — now bulldozed | Lucknow News
NEW DELHI: The Balrampur district administration on Tuesday bulldozed an illegal sprawling mansion of Jamaluddin alias Chhangur alias Jhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind of mass illegal religious conversions, in Madhpur village under Utraula police station. The palatial residence, built on 3 bighas of land, was found to be constructed illegally. A notice was served on May 17 to produce all relevant documents related to the mansion.The notice was served on Neetu alias Nasreen, an associate of Jamaluddin who is also a co-accused in the mass conversion case and was absconding.
The mansion used by Jamaluddin was also registered in her name. When the party concerned failed to respond to the May 17 notice, the mansion was demolished.The arrestsChhangur Baba and Neetu were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) on Saturday from a hotel in Lucknow. In the initial FIR, the two were accused of the illegal religious conversion of 40 people in Balrampur. Investigators believe that the count was much higher. On Tuesday morning, the Balrampur district administration launched a massive demolition drive targeting his illegal properties in Madhpur village.The operationThe operation witnessed the deployment of over 10 bulldozers and two companies of PAC to ensure law and order during the sensitive action. Senior officials, including district magistrate Pawan Agarwal and superintendent of police Vikas Kumar, were present on the site, monitoring the demolition of structures illegally constructed on a piece of barren land that belonged to gram samaj. According to the administration, the encroachments included an illegally built college, hospital, and madrassa spanning 3 to 6 bighas of land. Officials said these were constructed without approval and were part of a larger land grab linked to Baba’s expanding influence in the area.The ’empire’ A large, luxurious residential building owned by Chhangur Baba was also razed.Due to its strong structure, the demolition took several hours and is expected to continue for two to three more days. Officials confirmed that a portion of the 5-bigha campus built in the name of Neetu Rohra alias Nasreen—a co-accused in the case—was also razed. The land, verified as government property, had earlier been served a notice in May.Originally from Rehra Mafi, Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba was living in Madhpur village of Utraula for over a decade. Once a petty gemstone and ring seller who frequented Mumbai’s Haji Ali Dargah, Chhangur’s fortunes rose dramatically around 2020. Locals say he transformed from a trader to a self-styled ‘pir’ and spiritual guide with a sudden rise in wealth and status. His name surfaced prominently when Mumbai-based businessman Naveen Rohra, his wife Neetu, and their daughter allegedly underwent religious conversion under his influence. Post-conversion, the couple adopted Muslim names—Jamaluddin and Nasreen—and moved in with Chhangur Baba in Utraula, reportedly allowing him to use their luxury vehicles. The high-profile nature of the case triggered public outrage and drew attention from law enforcement. The ATS arrested Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba and his associate Neetu alias Nasreen on Saturday. The duo was presented before a Lucknow court and remanded to judicial custody. ATS sources revealed that the gang led by Baba was trapping Hindu women into relationships and converting them through coercion. Investigations have linked them to over 40 international trips to Islamic nations and foreign funding worth approximately Rs 100 crore, including Rs 30–40 crore in Bank of Baroda accounts linked to Chhangur and Neetu. Earlier, on April 8, Chhangur Baba’s son Mehboob and another associate Naveen alias Jamaluddin were also arrested in connection with the same syndicate. Speaking on the demolition, DM Pawan Agarwal said, “We are committed to taking strict action against illegal encroachments and anti-social activitiesThis drive is part of a wider crackdown on those misusing public land and engaging in unlawful religious conversions.” SP Vikas Kumar added, “The law will take its course. We are investigating all leads, and strict action will be taken against all those involved.” The Balrampur district administration continued the demolition for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. According to revenue officials, nearly 75% of the illegally constructed building was razed. The remaining 25%, which includes key portions of the fortified premises, is scheduled to be demolished on Thursday.The operation involved the use of 10 bulldozers. The illegal construction findings led officials to demolish 1,500 square feet of unauthorized structure inside the nearly Rs 3 crore estate, located on the Utraula–Mankapur main road. Of the 2,041 square feet declared unauthorized, 1,500 square feet were already razed—1,000 sq ft on Tuesday and 500 sq ft on Wednesday. The remaining portions, including part of the hall, main gate, and boundary wall, will be demolished on Thursday, according to Tehsildar Rajendra Bahadur. The team found a mini power station inside the property, high-end foreign-branded items in the bathrooms, and a tethered horse inside the premises. Six German Shepherd dogs were initially taken by villagers but returned after a police warning. The opulence inside the mansion was evident—luxurious tiles and imported marble, a 15×15 feet modern kitchen, plush sofas, imported furniture, 10 CCTV cameras, a 500-meter private driveway, and an electrified perimeter wall to prevent trespassing. ATS suspects the mansion served as the operational base for Baba’s illegal religious conversion network, which targeted vulnerable individuals, particularly Hindu women.ATS gets 7-day custodial remand of mastermind, accompliceThe Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) secured a one-week police custody remand of the key accused, Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, and his close aide Neetu alias Nasreen. The remand was granted by the NIA court to facilitate further investigation into the wide network, funding sources, and operational details of the conversion syndicate. Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, 70, and his wife were arrested in Balrampur on Saturday. Investigators said Mumbai residents Ghanshyam Rohera, his wife Neetu, and daughter Samale converted to Islam in Dubai in November 2015 and assumed the names Jamaluddin, Nasreen, and Sabiha, respectively. Later, they started living near Chand Auliya Dargah in Balrampur, with Jamaluddin identifying himself as Sufi saint Hazrat Baba Jamaluddin ‘Peer Baba’. According to FIRs lodged in various UP districts, the couple allegedly lured at least 40 people to convert to Islam. ADGP (Law and Order), Amitabh Yash said, “Jamaluddin, a self-styled spiritual leader, orchestrated a religious conversion network. The STF initiated a probe into the group’s activities, uncovering a complex operation where people were lured into conversion through romantic relationships, force or allurement.“ “Investigation also revealed that the gang was involved in converting minors. Financial scrutiny of its operations revealed that over Rs100 crore was funnelled into 40 accounts from foreign sources, allegedly to fund conversions,” he said. “Based on these findings, STF filed a case, which is currently being investigated by ATS.” Police said a diary, recovered from Jamaluddin’s hideout, had names of over 100 people who could be lured to convert. Given the case’s national and international ramifications, state police have sought a multi-agency probe involving NIA and ED. The probe was launched on a complaint by a Balrampur resident, Arvind Kumar, who reported suspicious activities in Madhpur village. “Investigations revealed that for the past 3-4 years, Jamaluddin and his family had been residing near Chand Auliya Dargah and portrayed himself as Sufi saint Hazrat Baba Jamaluddin ‘Peer Baba’. He also published a book ‘Shijra-e-Tayyaba’ to propagate Islam,” an ATS officer said. Despite converting, their official Indian documents—including passports, Aadhaar, PAN cards, and property records—still reflect their Hindu identities. “In one of the cases, a woman from Lucknow was allegedly lured into a relationship by a Muslim man who used a Hindu identity. She was coerced by Neetu and others to convert,” the officer said. “Jamaluddin ran a gang and had a fixed incentive structure for conversions. Rs 15–16 lakh was fixed for conversions of Brahmin, Sikh or Kshatriya women, Rs 10–12 lakh for OBCs, and Rs 8–10 lakh for other castes,” he added. Gang members allegedly travelled to Islamic countries nearly 40 times.
