New Delhi/Ghaziabad: Police filed a 1000-page chargesheet in a court in Ghaziabad against Shahnawaz Khan alias Baddo, the key accused in abetting religious conversion of youths through online gaming app.
In the chargesheet police have mentioned that Baddo trapped youths by creating fake social media accounts. Also, it stated that 30 Pakistani numbers were found in his mobile phone. Pretending to belong to the same religion as that of the victims, the accused encouraged youths to follow rituals of the other religion and would later blackmail them, police said.
Investigations revealed that a gang involved in religious conversion operated in different states with help from the local level. Ghaziabad court advocate Naresh Yadav said that Baddo has primarily been accused of religious conversion. For which, he can be punished for a minimum of one year to a maximum of 10 years. Also, the court can impose a fine of 15000 to 50000 on him, Yadav said.
The case came to light after a man from Ghaziabad complained that his 17-year-old son was unlawfully converted to Islam by Baddo through an online gaming app. He complained that his son went to the religious place of the minority community on a particular day of the week and did "strange things" there. A case was lodged on the basis of this complaint and investigations were initiated.
On June 4, police arrested Maulana Abdul Rehman, who admitted that he came in contact with the boy and trapped him through online gaming. He said that the boy was asked to recite the verses on the pretext of winning the game. On June 7, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights wrote a letter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking an investigation into online gaming applications.
While interrogating Abdul Rehman on June 10, police came to know that the accused was hiding in Maharashtra. Police teams raided different parts of the state and nabbed Baddo from Maharashtra's Alibaug on June 11. The next day he was presented before a court in Maharashtra and Ghaziabad police got his transit remand.
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During the seven-hour interrogation, Baddo accepted his Pakistan connection. On June 13, Ghaziabad police produced Baddo in Ghaziabad court from where he was sent to a 14-day judicial custody
