“Foreign money, hidden motives”: British citizen Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan booked in Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar after ATS Varanasi found he illegally collected foreign funds for madarsas and NGOs to spread radical activities
On 2 November, the Sant Kabir Nagar Police in Uttar Pradesh registered a case against Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan, a British national, after an investigation revealed that he had allegedly collected foreign donations for madarsas in India without government approval and had misused foreign currency.
The case was officially filed at the Khalilabad Police Station, following the recommendation of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Varanasi.
According to the report, the ATS probe discovered that the Maulana raised funds abroad through illegal means and used those funds to operate several madarsas and NGOs across India. This was not just a case of financial misconduct but also an alleged attempt to influence religious education through unapproved channels.
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Operated Without Permission and Linked to Religious Radicalisation
Officials said that Maulana Shamsul Huda Khan, who originally hailed from Deoria Lala, Chaikala village in Sant Kabir Nagar, worked as an Aaliya teacher in a government-aided madrasa in Azamgarh. Between 2007 and 2017, he lived in the United Kingdom without seeking mandatory permission from Indian authorities. In 2013, he became a British citizen, and after returning to India, he founded Madarsa Kulliyatul Banatir Rajviya Niswan in Khalilabad in 2017.
As per the investigation, the Maulana has been living in the UK again for the last two years. During the inquiry, the ATS found that he collected foreign funds from organisations and private individuals abroad and then transferred the money to Indian madarsas through intermediaries, allegedly taking commissions in the process.
He also set up two NGOs—Kulliyatul Banatir Rajviya Educational and Welfare Society and Raza Foundation—that were used to channel foreign donations into India. The same investigation also noted that he delivered religious lectures both online and offline and maintained contact with radicals in Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir to further Islamic activities within India. Several people connected to him are already under investigation by security agencies.
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ATS Recommends Derecognition of Maulana-Linked Madarsas and NGOs
In a detailed report dated 25 March 2025, ATS Varanasi recommended that the recognition of both madarsas and NGOs associated with Maulana Khan be revoked immediately. Acting on this, the Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Council instructed district authorities to take suitable action.
Earlier, the UP government had already seized his madrasa during a statewide crackdown on unregistered madarsas. Following this, the registration of both NGOs was cancelled. Later, District Minority Welfare Officer Praveen Kumar Mishra filed a formal complaint, which led to the official registration of the case.
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Case Registered Under Foreign Exchange and Criminal Laws
Khalilabad Station House Officer Pankaj Kumar Pandey confirmed that a case was filed against the former madrasa manager under Section 13 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The police said that investigations are ongoing.
Authorities noted that the matter involves serious financial irregularities and possible connections to radicalisation activities. Further legal proceedings and scrutiny of the Maulana’s NGOs and educational institutions are now expected to follow as part of the continuing probe by state and central agencies.
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