UK-based Muslim preacher voted in UP polls after quitting Indian citizenship: ED

A UK citizen and Islamic preacher allegedly cast his vote in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections despite having renounced his Indian citizenship in 2013, sources told India Today.

Investigators said the preacher, Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan, travelled from the United Kingdom to India to vote, raising serious questions over identity verification and electoral roll scrutiny, and underscoring the need for more robust voter identification mechanisms.

According to officials, Khan acquired British citizenship in 2013 after formally relinquishing his Indian nationality. Despite this, he allegedly continued to draw a government salary until 2017 and received pensionary benefits until 2023. He had been associated with a madrasa in Uttar Pradesh as a preacher and teacher from 1984 to 2013.

The details emerged amid a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Lucknow into his financial dealings. On Tuesday, ED officials conducted searches at two residential premises linked to Khan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The action followed a case initiated on the basis of FIRs registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police, alleging offences including fraud, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The ED alleged that after acquiring UK citizenship, Khan concealed his foreign nationality, misrepresented his citizenship status and unlawfully continued to receive government salary and retirement benefits. He is also accused of routing illegal funds through NGOs under his control in the guise of donations, allegedly using the money to construct madrasas and acquire immovable properties.

Financial analysis during the probe revealed that more than Rs 5.28 crore was received between 2013 and 2017 in bank accounts linked to Khan and entities controlled by him. Of this, Rs 3.83 crore was credited directly to his personal accounts. Around Rs 1.72 lakh was deposited in the account of his NGO, Raza Foundation, while approximately Rs 1.43 crore was credited to another entity, Kulliyatul Banatir Razvia.

The ED said the transactions were routed through accounts maintained with top banks and investigators claimed the financial trail reflected substantial transactions between 2007 and 2025, including the alleged unlawful receipt of salary and pension despite the cessation of Indian citizenship.

Investigators also found that Khan travelled to Pakistan, Bangladesh and several other Islamic countries. Agencies are examining whether funds collected domestically and abroad were diverted for personal gain.

During the searches, officials seized documents related to 17 immovable properties allegedly amassed by Khan. While the declared purchase value of these properties is around Rs 3 crore, investigators estimate their current market value at approximately Rs 20 crore. The seized documents are now under detailed scrutiny to determine the full extent of the alleged proceeds of crime.

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