‘I am innocent. I don’t know anything’: Chhangur Baba breaks silence as ATS probes conversion syndicate; Rs 100 crore property trail under scanner | Lucknow News

NEW DELHI: “I am innocent. I don’t know anything,” said Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba as he and his aide Nasreen were escorted from the Community Health Centre in Lucknow following a medical examination on Thursday.The duo is in seven-day custody of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in connection with a high-profile case of alleged illegal religious conversions.Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind of the conversion syndicate, and Nasreen were arrested for their suspected involvement in orchestrating unlawful conversions across state borders. As per the ATS sources, the probe has now taken investigators to Maharashtra and several districts along the Indo-Nepal border. A team led by a deputy superintendent of police has been dispatched to Maharashtra to trace over Rs 100 crore worth of properties allegedly linked to Chhangur Baba’s network.These assets, including high-value real estate in Pune, are suspected to have been acquired or encroached upon via benami transactions. A disputed land deal involving Sangita Devi, the wife of a Balrampur court clerk, is also under scrutiny as part of a profit-sharing arrangement linked to the syndicate.The ATS, in coordination with Maharashtra Police, is currently verifying property records and questioning individuals associated with Chhangur Baba’s operations in Nagpur. One key figure under the scanner is Idul Islam, described as Baba’s right-hand man in Maharashtra. Islam, who reportedly holds significant political sway, is accused of running an NGO allegedly used as a front for conducting illegal religious conversions. He is one of the named accused in the FIR registered in Lucknow.The investigation has also brought into focus Ramzan from Gonda, another accused in the case. Known to function as a middleman, Ramzan is suspected of recruiting vulnerable individuals for conversion and maintaining links with operatives in districts bordering Nepal.A senior ATS officer said teams will be visiting Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar, and Maharajganj. “We have credible inputs of associates of Baba operating from these regions,” the officer added.Meanwhile, Chhangur Baba and Nasreen continue to face questioning over their financial transactions, alleged property acquisitions, and the wider operational framework of the syndicate.(With inputs from ANI)