Mission Asmita: UP police bust alleged ‘ISIS-style’ radicalisation racket spanning 6 states, 10 held

UP Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna confirmed that the state would be seeking custodial remand for deeper interrogation. (Image credit: News18)

In a major crackdown under Mission Asmita, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday busted a sprawling illegal religious conversion and radicalisation racket, arresting ten people from six states, PTI reported.

According to officials, the operation, which began in Agra in March following the disappearance of two sisters — has unearthed a sophisticated network allegedly involved in coercive conversions, psychological manipulation, and radicalisation using methods similar to those employed by ISIS.

The trigger: Two sisters vanish, one poses with AK-47

The investigation began when two sisters, aged 33 and 18, were reported missing in Agra. What initially appeared to be a routine missing persons case soon turned into something far more alarming. The police discovered that the women had allegedly been coerced into changing their religion and were being systematically radicalised, PTI noted.

One of the sisters had even changed her social media profile photo to an image of a girl holding an AK-47, according to Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar.

“Preliminary investigations found that the sisters were targeted by a gang involved in ‘love jihad’ and radicalisation,” Kumar told PTI.

Allegations of foreign funding from US and Canada

The Commissioner further claimed that the racket may have received financial support from abroad, pointing specifically to the United States and Canada as suspected sources of illegal funding.

“We also found clues about their funding originating from America and Canada,” Kumar said.

The suspects allegedly played various roles within the network, from offering shelter and legal advice to receiving funds and facilitating conversions.

'ISIS-like' tactics and fake identities

Describing the scale and planning of the operation, Kumar told PTI that the gang's modus operandi bore the “signature of ISIS”, suggesting a deeply organised and ideologically motivated structure.

Several of the accused used fake identities, including aliases with Hindu names, to infiltrate social circles and target women.

Who was arrested? 10 held across six states

Among the 10 people arrested, one is a woman. The arrests were made across Rajasthan (3), Uttar Pradesh (2), West Bengal (2), and one each from Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Goa. The accused include:

Ayesha (alias S.B. Krishna) – Goa

Ali Hasan (alias Shekhar Roy) and Osama – Kolkata

Rehman Qureshi – Agra

Abbu Talib – Muzaffarnagar, UP

Abur Rehman – Dehradun

Mustafa (alias Manoj) – Delhi

Mohammad Ali and Junaid Qureshi – Jaipur

STF, ATS brought in; custodial remand likely

Given the seriousness of the case, specialised units like the Special Task Force (STF) and Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) have joined the investigation. The police are now working with central and other state agencies to map out the full extent of the alleged network.

UP Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna confirmed that the state would be seeking custodial remand for deeper interrogation.

“We are coordinating with other state and central agencies to trace the full extent of the network,” he said.

What is Mission Asmita? 

The operation is part of Mission Asmita, a Yogi Adityanath-led initiative aimed at curbing illegal religious conversions, radicalisation, and ‘love jihad’, especially where foreign influence or terror-linked tactics are suspected.

With the investigation still unfolding, UP Police officials have hinted that more arrests may follow, and the network may have international linkages that go beyond what has been uncovered so far.