Two Nuns Arrested for Religious Conversion And Child Trafficking
2 shocking religious conversion cases in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh expose deep-rooted rackets targeting minors, tribal communities, and vulnerable families across India.
ISH News has reported many shocking cases of religious conversion in the past, some even involving the Deaf community. Now, two more disturbing cases have come to light — one from Chhattisgarh and the other from Uttar Pradesh — both exposing serious allegations of forced conversions, trafficking, and misuse of religion.
In Chhattisgarh, two Catholic nuns from Kerala were arrested at a railway station on 25th July 2025. Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, both from the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI), were caught while allegedly trying to transport four tribal minor girls without the parents’ permission. These girls, aged between 5 and 10, were taken from Jashpur district to St. Joseph’s Convent School in Ranchi, Jharkhand, under the promise of “better education.” However, the families had never agreed to send their daughters.
When the girls went missing, worried villagers alerted the police. Investigations revealed that the nuns had taken the girls across state borders and were trying to secretly bring them back. The police acted quickly, rescued the girls, and handed them over to the Child Welfare Committee. The nuns were booked under kidnapping, human trafficking, anti-conversion, and juvenile protection laws. Officials said that under Chhattisgarh’s Freedom of Religion Act, no one can convert a person without district magistrate approval, especially if they are minors or tribals.
The case created huge political and religious debate. In Kerala, massive rallies were held demanding the release of the nuns. Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, accused the BJP and RSS of targeting minorities. But the BJP in Kerala said the case was not political. Bajrang Dal in Chhattisgarh supported the police and said the girls were being protected from forced conversion. The case is under full investigation, and more details are awaited.
Meanwhile, a major conversion racket worth over ?100 crore was busted in Uttar Pradesh. It involved a man known as “Chhangur Baba,” whose real name is Jamaluddin. He posed as a Hindu spiritual leader but was secretly running a huge conversion network. This started to unfold after Arvind Kumar from Balrampur complained about strange activities at Baba’s ashram. Later, a man named Jyotirgmay Rai from Bhadohi district exposed the deeper truth.
Rai said he was trapped into a fake marriage with a woman who claimed to be Hindu but was actually Muslim. Her real name was Afreen, and she had been pressuring Rai to convert. When she ran away with his daughters, Rai was threatened by Baba’s people and pressured to convert. After a long legal fight, Rai got back custody of his children and reported the entire case to the police.
Further investigations revealed shocking facts. Jamaluddin had built a ?300 crore empire with foreign funding, illegal land grabs, and fake religious activities. He and his team had made 40 foreign trips, mostly to Muslim countries, and offered money to convert Hindu women. Police even found a “rate list” — offering up to ?16 lakh for converting Brahmin, Kshatriya, or Sikh women. The network reportedly trapped over 1,500 girls and families using fake identities, threats, and emotional blackmail.
Jamaluddin and his wife were arrested by the ATS and later handed over to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED is now investigating under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. His mansion was demolished, luxury cars and gold were seized, and over 18 bank accounts are under investigation. A police officer in Ghaziabad was even suspended for helping the gang. More arrests have been made from West Bengal and Uttarakhand as the racket spreads across states.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised the police and said such crimes targeting women, religion, and national security will not be tolerated. Investigations are still going on, and more victims are expected to come forward.
