Ghaziabad Conversion Case: In a significant breakthrough, the Thane police accomplished a major success on Sunday, June 11, by apprehending Shahnawaz Khan, also known as Baddo, the prime accused sought by the UP Police.
Khan was allegedly involved in orchestrating a racket that aimed to convert young individuals through an online gaming application. Following an intensive operation, the police successfully arrested Baddo in the town of Alibaug, located in Maharashtra's Raigad district.
The 23-year-old resident was wanted by the Ghaziabad police in Uttar Pradesh for his involvement in the said racket.
Nivrutti Kolhatkar, the senior police inspector, provided insights into the operation, explaining, Under the guidance of senior police officials, the team carried out a thorough technical analysis of the mobile phones belonging to the wanted to accuse Khan and his relatives.
In a collaborative effort with the Worli police, our team initiated a search operation to locate Khan. Subsequent investigation revealed that he had taken refuge in a lodge located in Alibaug, where he was residing in one of the cottages.
With the assistance of the local police, we successfully apprehended Shahnawaz Khan on Sunday morning, as stated by Kolhatkar.
It was discovered that the accused Khan and the victim initially connected through the popular gaming application Fortnite in early 2021.
They established communication through the game's Discord feature, and their interaction gradually developed into a friendship. Subsequently, they exchanged phone numbers to continue their conversations outside the game.
However, the victim discontinued playing Fortnite after a few days and switched to playing the game Valorant towards the end of December 2021.
It was during their gameplay sessions in Valorant, particularly when they reached the target location Ice-Box, that they first discussed religious conversion and referenced Zakir Naik's speech," Kolhatkar explained.
Kolhatkar stated that the accused, Khan, had gaming equipment at his residence, including a computer, a OnePlus mobile phone, and an iPad.
Additionally, he mentioned that Khan has an Instagram account linked to his WhatsApp number, where he uses his real name.
The investigation team plans to hand Khan over to the Ghaziabad police for further investigation, as they will take charge of the case going forward.
The arrest of Shahnawaz Maqsud Khan marks a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation into the online gaming and religious conversion racket, and the authorities will now rely on the Ghaziabad police to carry out the necessary proceedings.