It now appears that the criminal empire of Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, accused of thousands of illegal conversions, was spread far wider than what the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had originally imagined.
The amount of money that he transacted could be anywhere between ₹300 to ₹500 crores, with most of it being routed through bank accounts in Nepal. This money was transferred from various countries around the world to Nepal. From there, it would be brought to districts like Lakhimpur, Shravasti, and Bahraich, which lie on the largely unmanned Indo-Nepal border. Here, exchange agents would convert it into Indian currency.
While investigative agencies currently lack a complete understanding of the operation's scope or the total money involved, there is a prevailing consensus that funds from Nepal may also have entered through Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Kishanganj, and Champaran in Bihar.
The ED has revealed that he was involved in illegal conversion for the last 15 years. The focus of these activities was Ayodhya, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh, where most of this money was spent. The cash for each conversion depended on the caste from which the women originally belonged.
Chhangur and his girlfriend Nasreen alias Neetu were taken on remand by the Anti-Terrorism Squad on Thursday.
The ATS has so far identified six bank accounts belonging to Jalaluddin containing ₹34.22 crore. Similarly, eight of Nasreen's accounts have been discovered, with deposits worth ₹13.90 crore made within them during a four-month period in 2021. While the agency is certain there were accounts in Sharjah, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, they currently lack definite information on these. It's noteworthy that Nasreen's father operates a scrap business in Dubai.
DGP Rajeev Krishna has said that other properties belonging to the criminal will also be demolished. This is in addition to the Rs 12 crore worth bungalow which was demolished in Balrampur on Thursday.
