ED Searches Properties In Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh In Probe Into Chhangur Baba's Alleged Conversion Racket

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Lucknow Zonal Unit on Thursday conducted searches at 14 locations, 12 in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district and two in Mumbai, in connection with an alleged religious conversion racket linked to self-styled godman Jamaluddin Shah, also known as Chhangur Baba.

According to officials, the operations began early in the day and continued for over 13 hours. In Mumbai, the ED searched two premises: a 20th-floor flat in Kanakia Paris (F Wing), Bandra East, and a fifth-floor residence in Rizvi Heights CHS, Pitambar Lane, Mahim West. Both properties are linked to one Shehzad Sheikh.

In Uttar Pradesh, multiple premises across Utraula, Madhupur village, and Rehramafi village in Balrampur district were searched as part of the investigation. The ED is probing alleged proceeds of crime generated through a network suspected of facilitating religious conversions under the guise of spiritual guidance.

A senior official familiar with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that financial transactions amounting to Rs 2 crore were detected in Shehzad Sheikh’s bank account, The funds were allegedly transferred from an account held by Naveen Rohra alias Jamaluddin a known associate of Chhangur Baba and an accused in the ongoing religious conversion case. Preliminary findings suggest the money was routed from Rohra’s account to Sheikh’s for property purchases, with a portion subsequently diverted to multiple other accounts.

Sources said Sheikh was present at the Bandra residence during the search and was questioned by ED officials. He has also been summoned to appear before the agency’s Lucknow zonal office for further interrogation.

According to officials, Sheikh had purchased a flat in the name of his wife, Nazreen Sheikh, in the Kanakia Paris building in Bandra East. The property Flat No. 2003, located on the 20th floor of F Wing was registered in her name on January 7, 2021. Another property in Mahim, also registered in Sheikh’s name, is currently occupied by his sister.

The ED is also investigating the alleged receipt and end use of foreign contributions by individuals and organisations associated with Chhangur Baba. Officials said the agency is examining bank accounts, property records, and transactions linked to Baba’s close aides, ashram managers, and followers. Preliminary findings point to suspected foreign funding channels from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal, raising concerns about cross-border financing of conversion operations.

The agency suspects the funds may have been diverted for unlawful activities, including orchestrating religious conversions, disrupting public order, and executing proxy transactions through shell entities to acquire benami properties, a pattern being described by investigators as part of a larger “land jihad” operation.

During the searches in Uttar Pradesh, the ED recovered a significant number of land-related documents and crucial digital evidence believed to be linked to the alleged religious conversion network.

Simultaneously, sources in the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) said a team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police has been sent to Maharashtra to investigate properties worth over Rs100 crore believed to be linked to Chhangur Baba’s network. These include high-value real estate in Pune, luxury flats in suburban Mumbai, and commercial assets in Nagpur, allegedly acquired or encroached upon via benami transactions. The ATS team is working in close coordination with the Maharashtra Police to trace the financial trail and identify local facilitators involved in these transactions.

Additionally, a Nagpur-based NGO and an individual identified as Idul Islam, a close associate of Chhangur, have come under intense scrutiny for their suspected roles in facilitating property deals and aiding the movement of illicit funds. Preliminary findings suggest that the Nagpur-based NGO allegedly operated as a front for laundering money received through foreign donations and hawala transactions.

Chhangur Baba, alias Jamaluddin, a self-styled spiritual leader from Balrampur, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly orchestrating a large-scale religious conversion racket. Officials said he primarily targeted individuals from Scheduled Castes and economically weaker sections.

ED Raids 14 Locations In Religious Conversion Case Linked To Chhangur Baba; Searches Underway In Mumbai & UP

His close associates Neetu alias Nasreen and her husband Naveen have also been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the case.

Based on a complaint filed by the UP ATS, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case on July 9 to investigate alleged money laundering offences linked to the purported conversion network.