Lucknow: Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui and Umar Gautam, along with 12 others, were found guilty in a forced conversion case on Tuesday. They are expected to be sentenced tomorrow, Wednesday.

According to sources, Lucknow Sessions Court Judge Vivekananda Sharan Tripathi of the NIA-ATS Court found the accused guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 417, 120B, 153B, 295A, 121A, and 123, as well as under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the anti-conversion law.

Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, a prominent figure from Muzaffarnagar, heads the Shah Waliullah Trust and serves as Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation. He was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in September 2021 and was imprisoned for over a year before being granted bail on May 3, 2023.

The case also saw the arrest of Maulana Umar Gautam and other associates, including Mufti Qazi. The Uttar Pradesh ATS alleged that the group was involved in orchestrating conversions, with claims that funds were being funneled from foreign countries to support their activities.

One of the accused, Idris Qureshi, managed to secure a stay from the high court, temporarily delaying his sentencing. However, the remaining 14, including Maulana Gautam and Maulana Siddiqui, have been taken into custody and are awaiting sentencing, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday. The convicted individuals face the possibility of life imprisonment, with a minimum sentence of ten years.