**Title:** Agra Police Uncovers ISIS-Style Religious Conversion Syndicate
**Meta Description:** Agra Police’s ‘Operation Asmita’ reveals a religious conversion syndicate targeting minors, linked to international funding and radicalization efforts.
**URL Slug:** agra-police-religious-conversion-syndicate
**Headline:** Agra Police’s Operation Asmita Exposes Religious Conversion Network Targeting Minors
In a significant operation dubbed ‘Operation Asmita’, Agra Police have dismantled a religious conversion syndicate allegedly operating in a manner reminiscent of ISIS, focusing on the radicalization and coercion of minor girls for conversion. The investigation began in March 2025 following a missing persons report filed for two sisters at the Sadar Bazar police station in Agra. This inquiry revealed connections to a broader network suspected of receiving funding from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) through international channels, including the UAE, Canada, London, and the US.
**Trail of Radicalization**
According to police sources, the syndicate employed local recruiters to indoctrinate Hindu girls through Islamic teachings, YouTube channels, and clandestine online sessions. Officials reported that the girls were enticed, radicalized, and subsequently trafficked to various states under false identities. In this case, the elder sister, who was pursuing her Ph.D. in Zoology, first encountered a Kashmiri woman named Saima during coaching classes in Agra. Saima allegedly persuaded her to visit Kashmir in 2021, leading to her conversion. Although she was located and returned home, she vanished again in March 2025, this time accompanied by her 19-year-old sister. Both were later discovered in Kolkata.
The family expressed concerns that the elder sister had become increasingly hostile towards Hindu beliefs, abandoning family traditions and advocating for practices such as purdah and hijab after her initial disappearance. They feared that the group had specifically targeted the younger sister upon her turning 18, exploiting legal loopholes to facilitate her conversion and marriage.
“Since my elder daughter met Saima, she has been promoting Islam. After returning from Kashmir, she sought permission to perform Namaz. Both daughters disappeared again in March and were found in Kolkata. The syndicate’s clear intention was to convert my daughters to Islam and arrange their marriages through nikaah,” the parents claimed.
**Modus Operandi**
Officials revealed that the syndicate’s funding was linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, with financial transactions managed by Ayesha, also known as SB Krishna, from Goa. She allegedly received funds from Canada-based Syed Dawood Ahmed and distributed them within India. Ayesha’s husband, Shekhar Rai, also known as Hasan Ali, operated as the syndicate’s legal advisor from Kolkata, facilitating the necessary documentation for conversions.
Key figures in the operation included Abdul Rehman Qureshi in Agra and Osama in Kolkata, who were responsible for the radicalization process. Qureshi reportedly used a YouTube channel named “The Sunnah Channel” to disseminate extremist ideologies. Additionally, a Delhi-based individual named Mustafa, also known as Manoj, provided new phones and fake SIM cards for the girls, ensuring their anonymity. Once radicalized, the girls were discreetly transported by bus to other states to evade detection.
**Arrests and Ongoing Investigations**
Agra Police have made several arrests in connection with this case as the investigation continues to unfold. The authorities are committed to addressing the alarming trend of religious conversion through coercion and radicalization, particularly targeting vulnerable individuals.
**FAQ**
**What is ‘Operation Asmita’?**
‘Operation Asmita’ is a police initiative in Agra aimed at dismantling a religious conversion syndicate that allegedly targets minor girls for conversion through radicalization and coercion.
