Six held for illegal religious conversion bid, land-grab in UP's Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Aug 28 (PTI) Six persons have been held on charges of attempt to murder and alleged religious conversion of a 53-year-old man by circumcising him and grabbing his agricultural land worth several lakhs of rupees in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, officials said on Thursday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjay Kumar told reporters that the accused — Yamin, his brother Gulzar, brother-in-law Ikram, Hafiz Shahnawaz and barber Khurshid — were arrested on Tuesday. A juvenile, related to one of the accused, has also been held in connection with the case, he added.

Police have recovered a car and a tractor allegedly purchased using the victim’s money, the SSP said.

According to a complaint lodged by Narender Kumar Sharma (53) on Wednesday, Yamin and his associates allegedly conspired to convert his religion by forcibly circumcising him.

They also allegedly grabbed his agricultural land and a plot valued in lakhs of rupees by transferring them to relatives of the accused, police said.

A case has been registered under sections 61 (criminal conspiracy), 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others, 118 (voluntary causing grievous hurt), 119 (voluntary causing hurt to extort property), 318 (cheating), 351 (criminal intimidation), 127 (wrongful confinement) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 3 and 5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, the SSP said.

Police said further investigation into the case is underway. PTI COR ABN ABN MNK MNK