Gang that lured Hindu girls with job offers, forced religious conversion and prostitution racket busted !

• Incident in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

• Victims gang-raped and pushed into prostitution

• Three religious fanatics arrested, including woman gang leader

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) – Police have busted a gang accused of trapping Hindu girls with promises of employment, sexually exploiting them and coercing them into religious conversion before forcing them into prostitution. The kingpin, Amreen alias Mahira, her sister Afreen, and Mahira’s associate Chandan Yadav – a Hindu converted to Islam – have been arrested. Other accused, identified as Bilal, Chanu and Yasir, are absconding, and a manhunt has been launched. Police stated that efforts are underway to trace other possible victims linked to the racket.

1. Mahira reportedly maintained a lavish lifestyle and primarily targeted economically vulnerable Hindu girls. In one case, a 30-year-old woman was offered a job as a childminder with a monthly salary of ₹10,000. In another instance, a beautician from Chhattisgarh was reportedly drawn into the network through Mahira’s sister-in-law, Sanjana, who had converted to Islam and changed her name to Jannat.

2. According to statements given by the victims, they were first intoxicated with drug-laced drinks by Chandan Yadav and then raped. Thereafter, Mahira and her accomplices blackmailed and threatened the girls, forcing them into prostitution for wealthy clients in Bhopal, Karnavati (Gujarat) and Mumbai. The victims were threatened with defamation and even death if they resisted.

3. Police sources indicate that the objective of the accused extended beyond prostitution to religious conversion. Chandan Yadav himself had converted to Islam. The victims were pressured to offer namaz, wear a burqa and read the Quran. They were reportedly told, “Muslim men are good, they do not consume alcohol; you should convert to Islam and marry within the community.”

4. The accused sisters, Amreen and Afreen, resided in a slum area of Abbasnagar. Investigation has revealed that they funded a luxurious lifestyle through money earned from trafficking and immoral activities. Police suspect possible links between the gang and influential individuals across major cities.

Editorial Perspective

In such heinous cases involving organised exploitation and coercive conversion, the demand for the strictest possible punishment, including the death penalty, is bound to arise.