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The ATS busted the alleged illegal syndicate mainly run by Mohammad Umar Gautam last year. ATS found that Umar Gautam and his associates were funded by the UK-based organization Al-Falah Trust to conduct a series of mass conversions in India.
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad in September 2021 for allegedly running an illegal mass religious conversion racket in Uttar Pradesh in collusion with Mohammad Umar Gautam and others.
The bench of Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Saroj Yadav allowed the appeal moved by Siddiqui against the order of the NIA court denying him bail considering that the trial in the matter may take a long time. Court opined that Kaleem's further detention would not serve any cause for the prosecution.
Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui was arrested on the allegations that he illegally converted the religion of over 1000 people across the state. Allegedly, he indulged into mass conversion of the people within the State of UP from Hindu religion to Islam by making publicity of Islam through a Youtube channel.
It has been also claimed by the prosecution that a huge fund had been generated by Siddique for executing such activities which is an offence within the scope of the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
The case against Siddique and others was lodged under Sections 417, 120-B, 153-A, 153-B, 295-A, 298, 121-A, 123 I.P.C. and Section 3/5/8 of the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
Two co accused persons namely Irfan Khan @ Irfan Shaikh and Dr. Faraz Shah whose bail was rejected under similar circumstances by the trial court have already been granted bail by the Supreme Court as well as by the High Court respectively.
Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), UP, Lucknow, has alleged that evidences were there proving that the racket which was primarily run by Umar Gautam had an aim of establishing a ‘Shariyat’ led government instead of a constitutionally established one by overturning the religious population balance of India for which series of mass conversions were being done under an organic mechanism.
In a press release, ATS stated: "Umar Gautam and his associates were funded by the UK based organization Al-falah Trust through hawala and other means, the details of which the above accused could not provide.”
As per ATS, under this conversion racket, poor, women, handicapped, especially deaf and mute were being forced to convert against their will by intimidating them and putting them under illegitimate pressure etc., in a malicious manner.
Case Title: Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui v. State of UP
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