Changur Baba suspected of receiving over Rs 200 crore in foreign funding

The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Friday stated that the self-styled godman Changur Baba received more than Rs 200 crore in foreign funding over the past three years for conversion purposes. According to the agency, over 100 bank accounts were opened in Nepal's border districts like Kathmandu, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi and Banke. The money was allegedly meant for religious conversions in India.

In the meantime, ADGP (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash said, "For a long time, Changur Baba's gang was doing religious conversions. Pressure through honey traps, influencing minors and using people who are influential in society – all of these were used for religious conversion. They also received a large amount of foreign funds for this. These will be either seized under legal provisions or demolished. This area is very close to the Nepal border. Attempts at demographic change at the Nepal border have been known for a long time now. This could be part of this larger attempt."

Funds received from Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Turkey

The probe agency stated that the accounts received funds from Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Moreover, the agents in Nepal also helped transfer this money to Changur Baba, who is originally from Madhpur in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, taking a 4-5% commission. In several cases, money was deposited using Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs).

The foreign funds were brought into many districts, such as Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich and Lakhimpur, where local money exchangers converted Nepali currency to Indian rupees.

Agents were involved in smuggling funds from Nepal

The authorities during the probe found that agents from Bihar districts such as Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Purnia, Kishanganj, Champaran and Supaul were also involved in smuggling funds from Nepal.

In the last few days, a Rs 5 crore mansion built by Changur Baba in Balrampur has been completely demolished. The house was constructed illegally on government land. The 40-room bungalow, which had a marble security gate, was demolished in three days using 10 bulldozers.

Rs 13.90 crore deposited from February 24 to June 28 in 2021

The investigative agency said Neetu, Changur's most trusted agent, has a total of 8 bank accounts.  A total of Rs 13.90 crore has been deposited in the bank accounts from February 24 to June 28 in 2021, ATS said.

So far, 6 bank accounts of Changur Baba have been found at the local level, and Rs 6 lakh has been deposited from abroad in the SBI account.

Apart from this, the investigating agencies have not yet found the record of his bank accounts opened in Sharjah, UAE, and the Mashreq city of Dubai, Saudi Arabia.