The Uttar Pradesh police are investigating around 24,000 madrassas in the state for allegedly receiving foreign funds and using them for illegal activities such as terrorism or forced conversion. The police have found that nearly 8,500 madrassas are operating without proper registration and have submitted a report to the state government.
The probe committee has examined around 30-40 madrassas in the first phase and discovered that they received almost Rs 100 crore directly from abroad. The committee will now verify each transaction through KYC and ask the recipients to explain the purpose of the money. A police source said that the money came from Europe and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.
The police are also looking into the possibility of Pakistan’s ISI being involved in routing the money through London, where there is less scrutiny on the source of the funds. A police official said that they are trying to identify the people who sent the money and check their authenticity.
The police have also noticed that several madrassas have sprung up in the areas bordering Nepal in the last few years. These areas include Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri and Pilibhit. The police suspect that these madrassas may be used as a base for cross-border infiltration and terror activities.
The probe is part of the state government’s crackdown on illegal madrassas and their funding sources. The government has also made it mandatory for all madrassas to register online and submit their details and activities. The government has said that the aim is to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of the madrassas
