Illegal madrassa sealed in UP; British national cleric booked for foreign funding violations

Sant Kabir Nagar/Lucknow, Nov 4 (PTI) Authorities in UP's Sant Kabir Nagar district sealed "illegally operating" madrassa linked to a cleric with British citizenship who has been booked on charges of foreign funding violations, officials said.

The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad was also probing the cleric's connections, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash confirmed in a statement issued in Lucknow.

Sant Kabir Nagar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Arun Kumar said the madrassa, allegedly being run in Khalilabad town illegally by the cleric's son, Tauseef Raja, was sealed following due process.

"Earlier the madrassa had been shut down, but a new one was found running under the same name, prompting this fresh action," the SDM added.

According to the District Minority Officer (DMO), an FIR has been registered against Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan, a British national, under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged foreign funding irregularities on Sunday.

Officials said that the madrassa was originally registered on March 31, 2017, but was shut down by the administration after allegations surfaced regarding illegal foreign funding.

Station House Officer (SHO) Pankaj Kumar Pandey said, "The British citizen, Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan, has not been seen in the district for a long time." ADG Yash said the UP ATS conducted an investigation into Shamsul Huda Khan, which showed that he frequently travelled abroad "under the pretext of Islamic religious preaching".

He was reportedly visiting various parts of Pakistan, maintained contact with people there, and through his close associates in India, was also in touch with "suspicious individuals" in Jammu and Kashmir. The cleric was engaging in other "suspicious activities", the officer added.

During the investigation, it was found that Shamsul Huda Khan was appointed as an assistant teacher at Madrassa Darul Uloom Ahle Sunnat Ashrafia Mubarakpur, Azamgarh on July 12, 1984, Yash said.

"Since 2007-08, he has been residing primarily in the United Kingdom. On December 19, 2013, he voluntarily obtained British citizenship.

"Between 2007 and 2017, he continued to receive annual salary increments without any verification of his service record, and on August 1, 2017, he was granted voluntary retirement and pension benefits -- process found to be entirely irregular," the ADGP said.

In addition, it came to light that while working at the madrassa, he repeatedly travelled abroad, collected funds from foreign sources, transferred them through various channels to different madrassas, and received commissions, the officer said.

"Based on the ATS investigation report, the District Minority Welfare Officer, Sant Kabir Nagar, lodged an FIR against Shamsul Huda Khan at Khalilabad Police Station on November 2, 2025. The investigation in the case is currently underway, and his madrassa has been sealed," Yash added.

Two other criminal cases have already been registered against the cleric in Sant Kabir Nagar and Azamgarh, in which chargesheets have been filed, the officer said. PTI COR KIS SKY SKY