A major illegal religious conversion racket has been busted in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The main target of the racket was Hindu girls, and the perpetrators conspired to convert them to Islam through deceit, allurements, and pressure. Investigation agencies suspect that the racket has links with terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISIS. A 21-year-old girl from Dehradun, Srishti, whose name was changed to Maryam by the gang, has exposed the entire modus operandi of the racket through her personal ordeal.
Speaking to Aaj Tak, Srishti revealed every character involved in the racket and how they conspired to lure Hindu girls. Agra Police conducted raids in seven states and arrested 11 accused including mastermind Abdul Rehman Qureshi, Ayesha alias Krishna, and others. Based on Srishti’s testimony, this report covers the details of how the racket operated, the methods used to trap girls, and the foreign funding network.
Srishti’s ordeal, trap began through Facebook
Srishti is a simple 21-year-old girl from Dehradun. She got trapped in this racket in 2020. She said, “It all began when a person named Mutalib contacted me on Facebook. He first befriended me and then started talking about his religion. He told me about Islam and gradually evoked curiosity in me.” Mutalib introduced Srishti to his sisters Sumaiya and Shafia so that she would trust them. After that, Srishti was connected to Ayesha and Abdul Rehman from Delhi.
Police investigation revealed that this racket targeted girls via social media, especially Facebook and online gaming platforms like Ludo. Girls from weak financial backgrounds and emotionally vulnerable ones were first lured into friendship. They were then radicalised using Islamic videos, propaganda content, and voice notes.
Srishti said, “I was added to WhatsApp groups where people like Javed, Abdul Rehman alias Rupendra Pratap, and another Abdul Rehman from Delhi were present. I was repeatedly pressured to accept Islam and get married.”
They offered better life as bait
Srishti revealed that Ayesha tried to exploit her financial condition. She said, “Ayesha asked me about the condition of my house and then lured me by saying that if I accepted Islam and agreed to become someone’s second, third, or fourth wife, I would be given a better home, security, and money. She said I would only be ‘invested in’ if I agreed to their conditions.”
The perpetrators systematically lured girls with the promise of financial help. Srishti was told that if she did not agree to marriage, she would not receive any help. She was introduced to several people, including Javed, Abdul Rehman (alias Rupendra), and another Abdul Rehman from Delhi. These people kept telling Srishti that following Islamic rules and agreeing to marriage was a precondition for help.
According to the police, the perpetrators first mentally prepared these girls. They were forced to choose Islamic names, recite the Kalma, and follow rules like wearing a hijab. Srishti’s name was changed to Maryam and she was told to record voice notes declaring herself a staunch Muslim. These notes were then used to raise funds from abroad, which Srishti herself admitted.
Plan to get girls out of their homes
A major part of the racket was planning to get the girls to leave their homes. Srishti said, “Ayan from Jharkhand told me that if I wanted to leave home, I had to reach a chowk in Dehradun alone. From there, a cab would take me to Delhi. A boy in Delhi would then drop me at some ‘safe place’ after a 10 to 12 hour journey.”
As part of this process, Srishti was instructed to break her phone and SIM card. Ayesha gave her a second-hand keypad phone and a fake SIM with Rs 4,000 to 5,000 so her identity and location would remain hidden.
ये देहरादून की सृष्टि हैं। इन्होंने आगरा के धर्मांतरण रैकेट के पूरे संगठित काम के बारे में बताया है। आयशा से लेकर अब्दुल रहमान तक, कैसे हिंदू लड़कियों को शिकार बनाते हैं। कैसे उन्हें घरों से गायब करवाते हैं कि वो पुलिस के हाथ न चढ़ें, हर बात का ब्यौरा है। ये आँखें खोलने वाला है। pic.twitter.com/5TImmvlhoK
— Shravan Shukla ePatrakaar (@epatrakaar) July 26, 2025
Srishti said, “I was taught how to break the phone and submerge it in water. I did all that, but I got scared and didn’t leave home. After that, they stopped helping me.” When Srishti refused to leave home, Abdul Rehman (alias Rupendra) pressured her to agree to become a third or fourth wife, or else no help would be given. Srishti rejected this pressure. The perpetrators then told her that their money had been spent on another girl who agreed to go with them.
Funding from several countries
Agra Police’s investigation revealed that this racket was receiving funding from the US, Canada, London, and Dubai. Srishti said, “A boy asked me to write my entire story so he could post it as a status on social media and raise funds. He was Ayesha’s fund manager and shared stories of other girls too.” These stories and voice notes were circulated abroad to show that girls had converted from Hinduism to Islam, based on which funding was raised.
Police found that Abdul Rehman’s nephew rerouted funding from London. This racket operated like ISIS, with different modules. One module worked on fundraising, another on radicalisation, and a third on hiding girls and arranging their nikah post-conversion. The investigation also suspects possible links to PFI and Pakistan-based terror outfits.
Role of jihadi teacher Ayesha
Ayesha alias Krishna was a key link in the racket. Srishti said, “Ayesha targeted girls above 18. She brainwashed them by preaching jihad. Ayesha used multiple numbers and bought second-hand phones.” Ayesha was arrested from Goa and her phone contained jihad-related videos and propaganda material.
Ayesha not only radicalised the girls but also helped them conceal their identities by giving them fake SIMs and phones. Srishti said, “I was taught that before leaving home, I must break the phone and submerge it in water. I was given a fake SIM, but I refused to leave home.”
Agra Police in action, Srishti’s testimony crucial
In March 2025, two sisters disappeared from Sadar Bazar Police Station in Agra, leading to the exposure of the racket. Police rescued the girls from Kolkata and uncovered the racket’s network with help from the cyber cell. A 100-member team conducted raids across seven states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, West Bengal, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, under Commissioner Deepak Kumar. Police arrested 11 accused, including Abdul Rehman Qureshi, Ayesha, Mohammad Ali, and Osama.
During the raids, police recovered conversion-related books and propaganda material written by Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui from Abdul Rehman’s house. Srishti’s testimony exposed each member of the racket. She said, “I was forced to recite the Kalma and choose an Islamic name. Abdul Rehman from Delhi asked me to send a voice note in which I had to say I am a staunch Muslim and want to migrate (Hijrat). That note was used to get foreign funding.”
Sleeper cells of the conversion gang dangerously active
Police traced dozens of girls across seven states. Several of them were so radicalised that counselling was ineffective. A photo of one victim holding an AK-47 has surfaced, indicating the dangerous intentions of the racket. The gang was preparing girls not just for conversion but also for terrorist activities.
Srishti said, “I managed to escape this trap, but many girls are still stuck. I want people to understand this conspiracy and not make such a mistake.” Her testimony has not only helped dismantle the racket but will also aid in tracing girls who have gone missing under its influence.
The exposure of the Agra conversion racket has highlighted the seriousness of the sleeper cell network spread across the country. This gang used social media, foreign funding, and organised modules to target Hindu girls. Srishti’s brave testimony and Agra Police’s swift action have brought the conspiracy to light.
UP ATS and police are now probing other members of the network and the sources of their funding. This case serves as a warning to society to stay alert on social media and not fall for any temptations.
