The case of the conversion of children through the gaming app "Fortnite" that has sent alarm bells ringing across the security agencies has also thrown light on the rampant misuse of gaming platforms that are otherwise and conventionally meant for entertainment while providing a larger-than-life scenario in the virtual space.
The game -- "Fortnite", which is similar to PUBG -- was allegedly being used by miscreants in brainwashing non-Muslim youth and motivating them to convert to Islam, the police said.
The matter came to light when, on May 30, a Ghaziabad-based man complained to police that his child was being motivated through a gaming app to adopt Islam. Acting on the complaint, a maulavi (cleric) was arrested, while the police are looking for the prime accused, Shahnawaz Khan a.k.a. Baddo who is on the run.
The man mentioned in the complaint that his 17-year-old son used to leave the house five times a day saying that he would go to the gym. When he got suspicious, he followed his son.
It was learned that he, in fact, used to go to a mosque to offer Namaz five times.
According to a source, when the cleric was arrested, the police could not gauge the gravity of the case. The revelations that came to the fore eventually began giving sleepless nights to the security agencies.
The police also had little idea that Shahnawaz Khan a.k.a. Baddo, was a tech-savvy gaming enthusiast.
As Khan continues to be at large, he has also been changing his locations frequently, making it difficult for the police to trace him.
The Ghaziabad Police, Lucknow Police and several other agencies are looking for Khan, who allegedly targeted minor children to convert them through the online gaming application in many places, including Maharashtra.
According to sources, Khan was in touch with children who were usually targeted through the gaming app for quite a few days. Though he only studied till Class 12, Khan has been a pro when it comes to using modern apps, a source said, adding that he has changed his SIM card several times in a span of five days
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