A Sudanese national, Osama Ali Younus Ahmed (22), who arrived in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on a student visa, was arrested by city police for attempting to forcibly convert two minor boys to another religion on Thursday evening. The City Chowk police station has registered a case against him, and he was presented before the court on Friday. He has been remanded to police custody for a day.
According to the police, Osama enrolled at Maulana Azad College and had not attended a single day of classes, as confirmed by the college administration. He resided in a rented house in the Cidco area. On Thursday evening, he invited a tenth-grade student and his friend to his room. Subsequently, Ali began chanting rhymes from a book, wrote something on paper, and set it on fire. He then spread the resulting smoke over the two boys, urging them to recite chants after him. Fearful, the boys fled from the room.
Upon reaching home, the boys disclosed the incident to their parents, who promptly informed the police. Law enforcement, alongside the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) and other investigating agencies, swiftly apprehended Ali.
Authorities are now probing Ali's motives for coming to India and his intent behind the attempted conversion of the minor boys. They are investigating the possible involvement of accomplices in the crime. Additionally, the ATS is exploring the potential of anti-national activities and examining whether a syndicate is operating in connection with this incident, including delving into the financial backing received by Osama.
