Agra Police have discovered a terrifying case of religious conversion purportedly motivated by ISIS-style radicalisation, marking a major breakthrough under Operation Asmita. The disbanded syndicate is charged with using systematic brainwashing, emotional manipulation, and ideological grooming to force young Hindu girls to convert to Islam.
When a distraught family went to the Sadar Bazar police station in Agra in March 2025 to report their two daughters missing, the case initially gained attention. What at first glance appeared to be a typical disappearance case quickly turned into something much more sinister: a highly developed and well-funded network thought to have connections to the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
As they looked further, investigators discovered that the syndicate's financial network was global in scope, with suspected funding sources located in the US, UK, Canada, and the UAE.
Behind closed doors: A trail of online radicalisation
According to police officials, the group operated quietly, using local contacts to lure and manipulate girls through online means. Their methods were subtle but calculated—encrypted chats, religious sermons on YouTube, and emotionally charged preaching sessions were all part of a covert campaign to radicalise vulnerable young minds.
Girls were reportedly isolated from their families and convinced to abandon their beliefs, all while being moved across cities under fake identities. This wasn't just an act of conversion—it was an organised attempt to rewire identities, sever familial bonds, and reshape belief systems.After being brainwashed, the girls were moved between states under false pretences. The elder sister in this case, a highly educated M.Phil. student studying zoology and working towards a Ph.D., first met Saima, a Kashmiri woman, while taking coaching classes in Agra. In 2021, Saima allegedly enticed her to Kashmir, where she converted to Islam.
Though she was brought back home at that time, she went missing again in March 2025, this time along with her 19-year-old sister. Both were later traced to Kolkata. The girls’ family told media persons that after her first return, the elder daughter had rejected Hindu rituals, adopted Islamic practices, and started promoting hijab and purdah. They claimed the younger sister, sharing a room with her, had also been influenced and was deliberately targeted by the syndicate after turning 18—an age where legal consent becomes a grey area.
“After meeting Saima, my daughter changed completely. She began offering namaz and demanding to observe purdah. When both girls disappeared again in March, we feared they were being converted and married off forcibly,” the parents said.
The syndicate's modus operandi and network
Police investigations revealed that the syndicate’s operations were financed by LeT through international channels. A woman named Ayesha, also known as SB Krishna, from Goa allegedly managed the inflow of funds. She received money from Syed Dawood Ahmed, based in Canada, and distributed it within India.
Her husband, Shekhar Rai alias Hasan Ali, operated from Kolkata as the legal advisor of the group. He was responsible for creating fake documents and legal papers needed for the conversion process. Radicalisation was reportedly managed by individuals like Abdul Rehman Qureshi in Agra and Osama in Kolkata. Qureshi operated a YouTube channel called The Sunnah Channel, which was used to brainwash young girls and spread extremist ideologies.
The logistics were made easier by Mustafa, also known as Manoj, an agent based in Delhi. He set up new cell phones and SIM cards for the girls under false pretences and arranged for them to travel across state lines, mostly by bus to avoid detection. Agra Police has arrested several individuals involved, including Abdul Rehman Qureshi. He was described as a soft-spoken man working at a local shoe shop. His family expressed shock and denied any knowledge of his alleged involvement.
Rehman’s parents said he was a quiet individual who had failed his Class 12 exams and did not possess the language skills to run an English radicalisation channel. They also accused the police of detaining him without proper explanation and barring family members from meeting him.
“We never taught our children anything about religious extremism. Rehman would go to work and come home quietly. We have no idea what the police are accusing him of. We appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure our son gets justice,” the family said.
Also Read: Glass pieces found on Kanwar Yatra route in Delhi, FIR lodged
A pattern of syndicate crackdowns in UP
This Agra case is the latest in a string of similar operations uncovered in Uttar Pradesh since 2021. The conversion networks purportedly operated by Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui and Maulana Umar Gautam were made public by earlier crackdowns. The Balrampur syndicate, led by Chhangur Baba, also known as Jamaluddin, was also dismantled more recently.
The intricate network of covert religious conversion schemes, frequently aided by foreign funding and a well-planned digital propaganda campaign, has once again come to light as a result of the Agra case. Investigations are still underway, according to authorities, and more arrests are probably coming.
Also Read: Attempts to defame Kanwariyas won’t be spared: Yogi
Follow us
