Three men have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district for allegedly running an illegal religious conversion operation from a village where an unauthorised mosque was functioning. The arrests were made in Jhakhaura village following complaints that people were being misled and pressured to change their religion. Police have registered a case under the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The accused have been identified as Lalman Chaudhary, also known as Abdul Rehman, his son Vijay Bharti, who adopted the name Mohammad Umar, and his nephew Deenanath Chaudhary, who later took the name Abdullah. According to police, Lalman converted to Islam in 2010 and subsequently influenced his son and nephew to do the same. Investigators said efforts were also being made to persuade other villagers to convert.
The matter came to light after locals objected to the construction of a mosque in the village, prompting a complaint by a resident named Pankaj Pathak. During the investigation, police discovered what they described as suspicious activities linked to religious conversion, along with financial transactions suggesting outside funding.
Officials said preliminary findings indicate that several lakh rupees were sent to the accused from outside the state. Transactions amounting to around Rs 9 lakh, allegedly routed from Mumbai through questionable bank accounts, are currently under scrutiny. The police are examining these financial links to determine the full extent of the network.
Additional Superintendent of Police Premlal Kurve said that the accused have been sent to judicial custody and religious material, including banners and books, has been seized from the site. He added that the structure being used as a mosque was originally a house, and its conversion had triggered local opposition. After objections were raised, parts of the structure, including a dome, were reportedly removed.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and further action will depend on findings related to funding sources and the extent of the alleged conversion activities.
