NIA-ATS court sentences 12 convicts to life imprisonment in Lucknow illegal conversion case

A special NIA-ATS court has awarded life imprisonment to 12 convicts including Maulana Umar Gautam and Maulana Kalim Siddiqui in the Lucknow illegal conversion case. Apart from this, the court has sentenced the remaining 4 people to 10 years in prison. The names of the accused are Rahul Bhola, Mannu Yadav, Kunal Ashok Chaudhary and Salim. The court declared them all guilty on Tuesday. Special Judge Vivekananda Charan Tripathi will sentence all the accused today. In the case, the Uttar Pradesh ATS had alleged that Maulana Kalim Siddiqui, Umar Gautam and Mufti Kazi Jahangir Alam were running an illegal conversion scam across the country. Under these charges, all were found guilty under sections 417, 120B, 153A, 153B, 295A, 121A, 123 of the Indian Penal Code and several sections of the Illegal Conversion Act. A total of 17 people were accused in this case, out of which 16 have been declared guilty. Idris Qureshi, the 17th accused, was not convicted as he was granted a stay by the Allahabad High Court. UP ATS registered an FIR in June 2021 against all in this matter. Later in September of the same year, after an investigation, the agency arrested Siddiqui from Meerut. At the same time, ATS claimed to run the largest swap syndicate in the country. According to ATS, donations are coming to the foundation through hawala, which he operated himself. Funds from various countries for conversion: In addition, ATS probe found funds worth Rs 1.5 crore from Bahrain and Rs 3 crore from other Gulf countries. ATS added that Kaleem also helped Umar and Mufti Qazi in conversion activities at the Islamic Dawa Center (IDC). Maulana Kaleem Waliullah also ran a foundation. The gang was conducting programs across the country in the name of social harmony. But he was running a conversion scam under its guise. At the same time, based on the ATS case, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in June 2021 against Mohammad Umar Gautam and Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qazmi and the Islamic Dawa Center (IDC). Also Read- Shiva Lingam under the dome of Gyanwabi Masjid.