nThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday conducted searches at six premises located in the national Capital and Uttar Pradesh under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in connection with the forced religious conversion case registered recently by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of UP.
According to the ATS case, Mohd. Umar Gautam, his associate Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi and others were allegedly alluring people for conversion to Islam religion in lieu of financial support.
The ED has initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by ATS, UP on forced religious conversion under the provisions of Indian Penal Code.
In this connection, the agency on Saturday conducted searches at six premises in all, three each in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
“The premises searched include the office of Islamic Dawah Centre (IDC), house of main accused Mohd Umar Gautam and his associate Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi, all located at Jamia Nagar in Delhi,” it said in a statement.
The offices of Al Hassan Education and Welfare Foundation and Guidance Education and Welfare Society located at Lucknow and Sant Kabir Nagar respectively, have also been searched, it further said.
“Umar Gautam has been associated with these organizations and has been playing an instrumental role in carrying out illegal conversions,” it said.
Several incriminating documents have been seized during the searches, which reveal the large-scale
conversions carried out by accused Umar Gautam and his organizations all over India.
The documents also reveal receipt of foreign funding of several crores of rupees by these organizations for the purpose of illegal conversions, it said, adding further investigation is under progress.