Lucknow: Self-styled Godman Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba received nearly Rs 500 crore over the last three years from countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE to carry out conversions in India, the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh said on Friday.
Of this, Rs 200 crore has been officially validated, while Rs 300 crore was routed through Nepal using illegal hawala channels.
The ATS has said that over 100 bank accounts were opened in Nepal’s border districts like Kathmandu, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi and Banke. The money was allegedly meant for religious conversions in India.
Agents in Nepal helped transfer this money to Chhangur, who is originally from Madhpur in UP’s Balrampur district. They kept a 4-5% commission for themselves. In many cases, money was deposited using Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs).
It has also been revealed that funds were brought into Indian districts like Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich and Lakhimpur, where local money exchangers converted Nepali currency to Indian rupees. The ATS has also unearthed that agents from Bihar districts like Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Purnia, Kishanganj, Champaran and Supaul were also involved in smuggling cash from Nepal.
Ayodhya district received the highest amount of funding, where it is alleged that Hindu girls were converted. Authorities have begun examining 40 bank accounts linked to Chhangur and his aides.
The Anti-Terror Squad also asked for 10 years of income tax records. Investigators discovered Rs 34.22 crore in six accounts belonging to Naveen Rohra and Rs 13.90 crore in the accounts of a woman named Nasreen.
Investigators also informed that they are still looking into Chhangur’s suspected foreign bank accounts in Sharjah and Dubai in the UAE.
A Rs 5 crore mansion, built by Chhangur in Balrampur has also been completely demolished. It was constructed illegally on government land. The 40-room bungalow was brought down in three days using 10 bulldozers.