‘Miracles’, funding from Islamic countries: How Chhangur Baba converted hundreds of Hindu women

Jamaluddin, also known as Chhangur Baba, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur for allegedly being involved in illegal religious conversions.

He is accused of running a network across borders that focused on converting Hindu girls in large numbers.

ALSO READ | Inside Chhangur Baba’s religious conversion racket in UP

Officials say he posed as a saint to hide his actions and mislead people.

According to the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP-ATS), the ‘baba’ mainly targeted women from non-Muslim communities and even kept a “rate list” for their conversions.

But how did he carry out these conversions? What more has the ATS revealed about Chhangur Baba?

Let’s take a look:

How Chhangur Baba converted hundreds of Hindu women

Chhangur Baba, who is from Madhpur in Balrampur district, is accused of targeting vulnerable groups, particularly poor, widowed, and helpless women, according to officials.

Police sources told India Today TV that Chhangur, along with his ‘close aide’ Neetu alias Nasreen, allegedly converted over 1,500 Hindu women and thousands of others from non-Muslim communities to Islam.

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Before this, Jamaluddin sold gemstones and rings, and often visited the Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai.

Reports suggest that his lifestyle changed around 2020. Locals said he quickly went from being a small-time trader to claiming to be a spiritual figure, gaining both wealth and status.

Aaj Tak reported that once he gained the trust of people, he claimed to have the power to heal through miracles. His ‘followers’, convinced by these claims, were slowly brainwashed and pressured to convert to Islam.

An officer from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) told The Times of India, “In one of the cases, a woman from Lucknow was allegedly lured into a relationship by a Muslim man who used a Hindu identity. She was coerced by Neetu and others to convert. Jamaluddin ran a gang and had a fixed incentive structure for conversions. Rs 15-16 lakh was fixed for conversions of Brahmin, Sikh or Kshatriya women, Rs 10-12 lakh for OBCs, and Rs 8-10 lakh for other castes.”

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According to ATS sources quoted in the report, Chhangur Baba had already drawn up plans to set up a ‘Dawa Kendra’ near the Indo-Nepal border.

Two years ago, a case had also been filed against some of his relatives in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, for illegal conversions.

Chhangur and Nasreen have not admitted to the charges or revealed details about the network. The special court handling ATS matters has granted police custody of the two accused until the evening of July 16.

Notably, Chhangur had also built a lavish home on government land, which has since been demolished by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Officials were surprised to find expensive features inside the house, including imported marble and tiles, a modern 15×15 feet kitchen, plush sofas, foreign furniture, 10 CCTV cameras, a private driveway 500 metres long, and an electrified wall around the property to stop intruders.

As per the Aaj Tak report, items like Spanish oil imported from Dubai, medicines for physical strength, and foreign-branded detergents, perfumes, and food products were also discovered.

#WATCH | Utraula, Balrampur | Uttar Pradesh administration's action on the properties belonging to Chhangur Baba continues for the third consecutive day.

He is the alleged mastermind of a religious conversion gang and was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS. pic.twitter.com/SkTVncuiTw

— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2025

Funding from Muslim countries for conversions

The ATS said on Friday informed that that the self-styled godman received nearly Rs 500 crore in foreign funding over the past three years.

Out of this, Rs 200 crore has been officially confirmed, while the remaining Rs 300 crore was moved through illegal hawala routes via Nepal, according to a report by India Today.

The agency revealed that over 100 bank accounts were opened in Nepal’s border areas, including Kathmandu, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi and Banke. These accounts were allegedly used to receive money intended for religious conversions in India.

Funds were reportedly sent from Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Agents in Nepal helped pass on the money to Chhangur. It was then brought into Indian districts such as Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich and Lakhimpur, where local money changers converted the Nepali currency into Indian rupees.

Authorities also found that agents from various districts in Bihar, including Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Purnia, Kishanganj, Champaran and Supaul, helped in smuggling funds across the border.

How Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba was arrested

Chhangur Baba, who once rode around on a bicycle selling rings and amulets, later went on to become a village head.

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested him and his associate Neetu from a hotel room in Lucknow.

Police said the room had been booked on April 16 for four days using their Aadhaar cards, but it later became a base for continued conversion activities.

When police stepped in, both Jamaluddin and Neetu were taken into custody.

Earlier, a court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Jamaluddin, and police had placed a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Another associate, Mohammad Ahmed Khan, is believed to have handled his properties.

Khan, who has several criminal cases against him, is described as Chhangur Baba’s “right hand”.

With inputs from agencies