UP: Man arrested in Bareilly for luring people into conversion

Bareilly police arrested a man for allegedly organising a meeting to lure people into religious conversion. In a separate incident in Shamli, two were arrested in a conversion case allegedly driven by a property-related motive to trap a young man.

Man Arrested in Bareilly for Unlawful Conversion

The Bareilly Police have arrested a man for allegedly organising a gathering to entice people into religious conversion through various allurements in the Meerganj area of Bareilly, officials said on Friday. The accused, identified as Prempal, was arrested following a complaint filed by a local resident on July 9.

Providing details of the case, SP (South) Bareilly, Anshika Verma, stated that the police acted promptly after receiving information about a "special meeting" being conducted for the purpose of unlawful conversion. "On July 9, 2026, information was provided to Meerganj police station by the complainant Ankit, that a special meeting was organised by an individual named Prempal, where people were being offered allurements for religious conversion. A case was registered in this regard. Prempal has been arrested and sent to jail. Further legal action in the matter is underway," SP Verma said.

According to the police, the complainant alleged that Prempal was offering various allurements to the attendees of the meeting to encourage them to change their faith. Following the tip-off, a case was registered at the Meerganj police station, and an FIR has been lodged under the relevant sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

During the arrest, the police recovered several items from the possession of the accused that were reportedly being used during the gathering. These include six books, one notebook, and a mobile phone. Further details are awaited.

Shamli Conversion Case Linked to Property Motive

A month ago, in a separate incident, Shamli Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Pratap Singh alleged that the recent case involving a young man's alleged religious conversion was driven by a property-related motive, adding that a Special Investigation Team has been constituted to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.

Police earlier arrested two individuals involved in a forced religious conversion case in the Kajiwada neighbourhood under the Kotwali police station area. The official said that the incident involved a premeditated scheme to pressure a young man, lure him into a romantic trap, and subsequently blackmail him for financial gain.

Speaking to ANI on the case, SP Narendra Pratap Singh said, "There is a family here that possesses significant assets, including two pharmacies... They have a son who recently renounced his original faith and converted to Islam. There are four children in the family; 3 daughters are married, and the son, named Ayush, used to manage the pharmacy business."

He further alleged that the accused influenced the young man after coming into contact with him. "It was discovered that he came into contact with a woman named Chandni, a gym trainer who has also completed a physiotherapy course. She influenced him... as she, along with a worker of the shop, had eyes on the family's property since he was the only son and carried out the conversion," the SP said.

The officer also claimed the involvement of Chandni's family in the matter. "Chandni's father runs a juice business and was the one who facilitated Ayush's conversion and is now claiming that a marriage has also taken place," he told ANI.

He further added that the case is being probed from all angles. "A case has been registered, and the accused have been sent to jail. The conversion was driven by the greed to usurp the property... a thorough investigation into the matter is underway by the SIT," the SP said. Further investigation is still underway.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)