Mirzapur Conversion Racket: UP Gangsters Act Invoked Against 10 Accused Linked to Gym Network
In a major crackdown on an alleged religious conversion racket in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district, police have invoked the stringent Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act against 10 individuals accused of operating the network through multiple gyms across the city.
Officials said the action was taken after investigators gathered what they described as substantial evidence pointing to organised criminal activities.
All the accused are currently lodged in jail, while the five gyms allegedly linked to the case have been shut down by authorities.
The case first surfaced in January when a woman approached the Uttar Pradesh Police Women’s Helpline with a complaint against a local gym owner.
What initially appeared to be an isolated grievance soon unfolded into a much larger investigation.
According to police officials, inquiries revealed an alleged network in which female gym members were reportedly subjected to harassment, intimidation, and pressure to convert their religion.
As the investigation progressed, police registered cases against the accused under several serious charges.
These included extortion, criminal intimidation, assault, intentional insult aimed at disturbing public peace, and violations under laws related to unlawful religious conversion.
Officials stated that the accused were later arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Investigators further alleged that the group specifically targeted Hindu women by attracting them to their gyms under the guise of fitness training and personal guidance.
Police claim the accused exploited the trust of trainees and gradually drew them into a wider conspiracy allegedly motivated by financial benefits, personal gain, and unlawful activities carried out in coordination with associates connected to the racket.
According to the police probe, some of the accused allegedly developed physical relationships with the women and secretly recorded objectionable photographs and videos.
Investigators claim these materials were later used as tools for blackmail and extortion, with victims allegedly threatened and pressured into changing their religion.
Police officials said these findings formed a crucial part of the evidence collected during the investigation.
Speaking on the development, Amit Kumar Mishra, Station House Officer of Kotwali Dehat police station, said that alleged gang leader Imran Khan and his associates were found to be actively involved in organised criminal acts.
He stated that after reviewing the evidence and establishing sufficient grounds for legal action, the police registered a case against all 10 accused under the UP Gangsters Act.
Among those named in the case is Faizal Khan, a local bodybuilding figure who won the titles of “Mr Mirzapur” in 2019 and “Mr Purvanchal” in 2022.
Other accused include 39-year-old maulvi Khalilur Rahman, KGN gym owner and alleged prime accused Imran Khan (35), his brother Zaheer (32), Shadab (36), Fareed Ahmed (28), Mohammed Shaikh Ali Alam (31), and police constable Irshad Khan (40).
Authorities said the investigation into the alleged network is still ongoing, and more details may emerge in the coming days.
