The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui in connection with what the police has called India's largest religious conversion syndicate, news agency ANI reported.
The cleric was taken in Muzaffarnagar after attending a programme in Meerut.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh ADG Prashant Kumar claimed that Siddiqui, one of the biggest clerics from western Uttar Pradesh, not only funded and oversaw conversion activities but also used his trust to fund madrasas involved in unlawful conversion.
In a statement, the ATS said Siddiqui runs Jamia Imam Waliullah trust that funds several madrassas for which he received huge foreign funding. Citing investigations, Kumar said Siddiqui's trust received ₹3 crore in foreign funding including ₹1.5 from crore Bahrain'. Six teams of ATS have been formed to investigate the case.
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