The judgment, delivered by Judge Vivekanand Saran Tripathi, sentenced twelve of the accused, including Maulana Umar Gautam and Mohd Kaleem Siddiqui, to life imprisonment, while four others were given ten years of rigorous imprisonment.
Uttar Pradesh: A Lucknow sessions court has found sixteen individuals guilty in a case of illegal mass religious conversion, convicting them on charges including cheating, waging war against the state, and inciting religious hatred.
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The judgment, delivered by Judge Vivekanand Saran Tripathi, sentenced twelve of the accused, including Maulana Umar Gautam and Mohd Kaleem Siddiqui, to life imprisonment, while four others were given ten years of rigorous imprisonment.
The convicted individuals include Maulana Umar Gautam, Arshan Mustafa (alias Bhupriya Bando), Adam (alias Prasad Rameshwaram Kovere), Abdul Mannan (alias Munnu Yadav), Mohd Atif (alias Kunal Ashok Choudhary), Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi, Kaushar Alam, Faraz Babullah Shah, Irfan Sheikh, Salahuddin Zainuddin Sheikh, Dheeraj Govind, Rahul Bola, Mohd Kaleem Siddiqui, Mohd Salim, Sarfaraz Ali Jafari, and Abdullah Umar.
According to the prosecution, the accused were involved in anti-national activities by organizing mass conversions of individuals in Uttar Pradesh from Hinduism to Islam. They publicly promoted Islam and provided rehabilitation for the converted individuals.
All the accused were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP ATS) in 2021, and the criminal trial commenced in 2022. They were found guilty on September 11 (Tuesday), with the sentencing delivered on September 12 (Wednesday).
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In addition to illegal religious conversions, the accused were also charged with amassing substantial funds to support these activities. They were convicted under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and Section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, for accepting foreign currency in violation of the law.
The defense counsel stated that the sentences were handed down by NIA/ATS court judge Vivekanand Saran Tripathi after discussions on the severity of punishments. He noted that all 16 convicts were brought from Lucknow district jail to the court around 12:30 pm on Wednesday, with the punishments announced at approximately 4:45 pm. Following the pronouncement, all convicts were placed in judicial custody.
The court also ruled that the time the convicts had already spent in jail would be counted toward their sentences. Additionally, it ordered a compensation of ₹2 lakh for each of the victims of the religious conversions.
The prosecution counsel pointed out that while 17 individuals were originally charge-sheeted by the ATS, legal proceedings against one accused, Idris Qureshi, were stayed by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, separating his case from the others, which remains pending.
The ATS uncovered the racket after arresting Umar Gautam, chairman of the Islamic Da’wah Centre in Delhi’s Batla House, along with Mufti Kazi Jahangir Kasmi, a staff member, on June 20, 2021. Further investigation led to the arrest of 15 others, including Gautam’s son, Abdullah Umar.
The conversion racket, which targeted specially-abled children and vulnerable groups, was reportedly funded by international organizations, including Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. According to the ATS, more than 1,000 individuals were illegally converted in the two years leading up to the racket’s discovery in June 2021.
A senior ATS official added that Umar Gautam targeted vulnerable individuals by sharing his own story of converting to Islam from Hinduism’s Thakur caste, emphasizing caste discrimination to influence his targets. He also promised jobs to those who converted.
DGP Prashant Kumar praised the verdict, stating,
“The decision by the Hon’ble Special Court (ATS/NIA) in Lucknow today validates the strong action and thorough investigation carried out by the UP ATS against illegal conversions and disruptive elements. The conviction of 16 members of this illegal conversion syndicate sends a clear message that anti-social and anti-national activities will not be tolerated in Uttar Pradesh… After this syndicate was exposed and arrests were made, some religious extremists and anti-national elements questioned the professionalism and transparency of UP Police. Today’s verdict provides a strong and clear response to them.”
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