UP conversion case: Maharashtra police get transit remand to take prime accused to Ghaziabad

Thane: Thane police has been granted transit remand by a local court on Monday to transfer Shahnawaz Khan, the prime accused in a case of alleged religious conversion of youngsters through an online gaming app, to Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Khan, a resident of Mumbra township, was apprehended on Sunday from a relative's residence in Alibag, Raigad district, said an official. "We are transporting him from Thane to Ghaziabad via road."

According to law enforcement, Khan and a mosque cleric in Ghaziabad have been booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act based on a complaint.

Last month, a man from Ghaziabad filed a complaint with the police, alleging that the cleric and Khan had converted his son, who had recently passed the class 12 board exams, to Islam illegally. The complainant claimed that his son connected with Khan through an online gaming app and regularly interacted with him, leading to his inclination toward embracing Islam.

Khan had sold computer gadgets a year ago to a boy belonging to the Jain community. Gradually, they began having regular conversations. Khan allegedly made the boy recite verses from the Holy Quran and "brainwashed" him.

The 23-year-old is part of an alleged racket and used the name 'Baddo' to communicate. He targeted children who played an online game. He will be produced in a Ghaziabad court within three days.

Union Minister for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the government is already working on a framework to ban such games. The new legislation will aim to strictly regulate the internet and combat new cybercrime in the country. "The Digital India Bill is expected to address a variety of online safety issues, including combating child sexual abuse material, religious incitement material, patent violation material, and misinformation on social media platforms. "There are 11 things that we don't want on social media - child sexual abuse material, religious incitement material, patent violation material, misinformation, and things like that."