In Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, authorities have apprehended five individuals, among them a gym proprietor, linked to allegations of forced religious conversion, sexual exploitation, and extortion. These arrests stemmed from complaints brought forth by two young women, who claimed they were lured under the guise of friendship and fitness training, only to face coercion and mistreatment.

On January 20, one of the suspects, named Farid, was involved in a police confrontation in the Kharanja Fall vicinity near the Dehat Kotwali station. Reports indicate that Farid opened fire upon noticing the police team sent to apprehend him. In the subsequent exchange of gunfire, he suffered a gunshot wound to his leg. He was later captured and transported to a trauma center for treatment. Prior to this, four other suspects had already been detained and remanded to jail.

This case is associated with KGN gym in the Sadar Tehsil Colony, where the victims alleged that a group was orchestrating a scheme involving religious conversion, blackmail, and extortion masked as a fitness enterprise. Acting on these claims, police initiated serious legal proceedings on Wednesday and closed down four gyms across both rural and urban police precincts of the district.

Law enforcement revealed that the accused would befriend women attending the gym, gradually building trust before pressuring them to convert to another faith. The victims reported instances of sexual exploitation followed by extortion, with threats aimed at silencing them. Following preliminary inquiries, four individuals, including the gym owner, were apprehended, and the gyms were closed to safeguard evidence.

The Dehat Kotwali police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against seven named suspects, including gym owners and trainers, on counts of sexual exploitation, extortion, and forced religious conversion of gym attendees. Investigations unveiled that this alleged operation had been ongoing in the Sadar Tehsil Colony area, seemingly unnoticed for an extended duration.

Regarding the arrests, police indicated that two separate written complaints were lodged by the victims, prompting immediate action. Under the direction of the area officer in Sadar, four specialized teams were formed, incorporating personnel from the Special Operations Group (SOG) and various police units. On January 20, they apprehended Mohammad Sheikh Ali, a resident of Natwa, and Faizal Khan, from Gosai Talab, both linked to the city police precinct.

Utilizing mobile devices, digital data, and other evidence obtained during questioning, two additional suspects, Zahir and Sadab, were captured. Investigations indicated that Zahir owns KGN-01 gym and is also affiliated with KGN-02, KGN-03, and Iron Fire gyms. The women affected were noted as regular patrons of the KGN gym. Based on the evidence gathered, police sealed all gyms to prevent evidence tampering.

Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Nitesh Kumar Singh emphasized the seriousness with which police are treating the complaints filed at Dehat Kotwali. He stated, “We take these allegations of sexual exploitation, extortion, and forced religious conversion very seriously. We have arrested four suspects so far, and one more has been taken in following an encounter. A comprehensive investigation is underway, with stringent legal action anticipated against all involved.”

In a separate matter, the landlord of the property in Sadar Tehsil Colony housing one of the gyms claimed ignorance of any illicit activities occurring on-site, asserting that the premises were rented to an individual named Imran for gym operations.

The situation has garnered political attention, with local MLA urging the police to execute strict and exemplary measures against those implicated. Public sentiment in Sadar Tehsil is reportedly one of anger over the gravity of the allegations, with community members demanding severe penalties for the accused, some even suggesting drastic actions like utilizing bulldozers against the guilty.

Police officials reiterated that the investigation is ongoing and that additional arrests may occur as evidence continues to be scrutinized.