Chhangur Baba case: ED uncovers Rs 100 crore assets linked to conversion racket mastermind

Chhangur Baba, the self-styled godman and the alleged mastermind of a massive conversion racket in UP's Balrampur, has now come under the Enforcement Directorate's reader after his arrest by the Anti-Terrorist Squad last week. The ED has intensified its investigation into Chhangur Baba, real name Jalaluddin, and his close aides, to investigate assets worth over Rs 100 crore allegedly amassed through dubious means.

Baba's 40 bank accounts under forged identities

According to sources, the ED is extensively scrutinising the massive wealth Chhangur Baba has amassed over the year while running his criminal campaign in Balrampur. All property-related documents and financial records have collected by the federal with the initial investigations revealing that the baba holds around 40 bank accounts, most of which were opened in the names of 40 shell companies created using forged documents.

Foreign funding, real estate across India

Out of these, at least six accounts are believed to be held in overseas banks. Intelligence inputs suggest that crores of rupees were transferred to these accounts from several Gulf countries. The ED is now working to track the origins and utilisation of these foreign funds.

Using the money received from abroad, Chhangur Baba reportedly purchased large tracts of land not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in Nagpur and Pune. One of the major properties under scrutiny is a Rs 16 crore estate in Lonavala, Pune. The ED is compiling a full inventory of these real estate assets, with plans underway to initiate seizure proceedings.

Luxury spending and religious activities

Investigators have also found that Chhangur Baba spent lakhs of Rupees on exotic animals, including high-breed foreign horses and dogs. These extravagant purchases are also part of the ED's investigation. Documents recovered during the probe indicate that Chhangur Baba received over Rs 100 crore from foreign sources. The funds were allegedly used to finance property acquisitions and to support religious conversion activities, raising serious legal and national security concerns.

Further revelations suggest that Chhangur Baba was running an entire real estate business, heavily funded through foreign channels. The ED is now working to establish the full extent of this operation and its possible violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

What is the Chhangur Baba case?

According to the FIR lodged in the case, Chhangur Baba is alleged to have established an extensive network operating from the premises of Chand Auliya Dargah, where he regularly organized large gatherings attended by both Indian and foreign nationals. Through his religious discourses, the publication of a book titled Shijra-e-Tayyaba, and strategic psychological influence, he is accused of promoting Islam while systematically inducing, coercing, and manipulating individuals of other faiths, particularly Hindus, Scheduled Castes, and economically disadvantaged persons, into religious conversion.

These acts were part of a broader organized effort to carry out mass conversions and accumulate wealth through deceitful means. FIR further revealed that Chhangur Baba amassed assets exceeding Rs 100 crore over a span of a few years, allegedly acquired through this organized network.