Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has initiated a detailed investigation into the suspicious use of QR codes for collecting donations in mosques across the state, amid concerns over potential misappropriation of donations and possible diversion of funds for unauthorized purposes.
The ATS probe was triggered after a suspicious QR code was discovered on a banner displayed at a shrine located in Qamar Colony, Kamgar Nagar, Nagpur on banner. The banner bore the name "Jere Ahtamam Darul Uloom Gausia Intezamia" and appealed for construction donations to support the building of a religious institution for women. The banner included a QR code, bank account details, and photographs of an under-construction building, soliciting materials such as cement, iron, bricks, or monetary donations.
However, Upon scanning the QR code, ATS officials found that the linked payment gateway operated under the name Star Computer Solutions, registered to Mohd Ejaz Ansari. Investigations revealed that Ansari is not affiliated with the official management of the shrine. More alarmingly, the funds collected through the QR code were not directed to the institution’s official accounts but were instead routed to Ansari’s personal bank accounts. These include a UPI ID (*********5584@ybl) and a bank account number (*********610797).
A financial probe into Ansari’s bank statements uncovered transactions amounting to over Rs 68 lakh from various organizations and sources over the past two years. ATS officials are currently investigating the end-use of these funds and whether they were diverted for unlawful activities or personal gain. .
According to ATS sources, the routing of funds from Ansari’s accounts to multiple unauthorized or bogus accounts raises serious suspicions. Preliminary findings suggest that Ansari may have acted as a conduit, facilitating transfers between donors and undisclosed beneficiaries.
“Initial evidence points toward a structured mechanism where donations collected in the name of religion were redirected for unknown and potentially illicit purposes,” an ATS official confirmed on condition of anonymity.
Earlier this year, The Free Press Journal had exclusively reported on an ongoing investigation by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) into a suspicious money-routing network involving QR codes used to collect donations at mosques across Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka.
According to the official, these QR codes often displayed on banners or circulated digitally were used to solicit public contributions under the guise of religious or charitable causes. However, financial investigations revealed that donations, ranging from small sums to significant amounts, were processed via third-party digital payment platforms and deposited into unofficial or vulnerable accounts. Many of these accounts were allegedly indirectly linked to mosque trusts. Investigators now suspect that a significant portion of these funds was subsequently diverted to unregistered or unauthorized organizations, heightening national security and financial integrity concerns.
The ATS has now registered a case against Mohd Ejaz Ansari under sections 314, 316, and 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Kapil Nagar Police Station, Nagpur. "The QR code’s account holder and the shrine’s management have been summoned by Kapil Nagar Police to verify the facts,” an ATS official confirmed. “The shrine management must clarify whether they were aware of the QR code displayed at their premises. The account holder is also required to account for the end-use of the collected funds.”
