UP Police busts Mirzapur Gyms turned into ‘Love Jihad’ Plot, 5 Arrested

Mirzapur : In Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district, police have cracked down on what authorities describe as organised rackets using fitness centres as fronts for alleged illegal religious conversions, sexual exploitation, and blackmail. Five individuals have been arrested so far, and at least five gyms sealed following complaints from two women.

The cases came to light after the victims, who were members of local gyms, approached authorities with detailed allegations. They claimed gym trainers initially befriended them under the pretext of personal training and yoga sessions, then lured them into relationships. The women accused the men of sexual exploitation, molestation, secretly recording objectionable photos and videos, and using the material for blackmail and extortion—including forcing them to take loans in their names.

According to the complaints, the accused exerted pressure for religious conversion: compelling the women to wear burqas, perform namaz five times daily, visit a dargah, and recite the kalma. Resistance reportedly led to abuse, death threats, and warnings of leaking the compromising videos online. One complainant stated that the group had similarly targeted several other young women.

In the primary case, Mirzapur Police registered an FIR and arrested four suspects: Mohammad Sheikh Ali Alam (also known as Sheikh Ali), Faizal Khan, Zaheer, and Saadab (or Shadab). The accused were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody. Authorities sealed five gyms, including KGN Gym and B-Fit Gym, for allegedly serving as operational bases.

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In a separate but related operation, police arrested another gym owner, Farid—who also worked as a firearms trainer—after he allegedly opened fire during an attempt to evade capture in the Barkachha area. He was overpowered and taken into custody.

Mirzapur Police confirmed that investigations are expanding to uncover the full network, identify additional victims, and trace possible links between the operations. A hunt continues for other suspects, with officials indicating more arrests are likely as the probe progresses into what appears to be a pattern of exploitation centred on fitness facilities.

Mirzapur BJP MLA Ratnakar Mishra welcomed the action, calling for strict measures against the alleged misuse of gyms for “love jihad.” He stated that in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government, illegal religious conversions would not be tolerated and that police had acted decisively to prevent such activities from continuing.