Lucknow: Commenting upon the increasing religious conversions cases, the Allahabad High Court observed that anyone involved in forcibly converting people from one religion to another is a converter. According to the High Court Bench, those usually referred to as ‘Father’, ‘Maulvi’ or such other names, who forcibly convert people, are liable for action under the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law.
Observations during hearing of conversion case
The HC bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, observed that if any of the religious preachers (read Father, Karmkandi, Maulvi or Mulla etc), convert any person by force, misrepresentation, fraud, undue influence, coercion and allurement, they are liable for legal action under the relevant sections of the law.
The court’s observations came during the hearing of a case, where it denied bail to a ‘Maulana’ who has been accused of forcibly converting a victim to ‘Islam’ and performing her Nikaah with a Muslim man. While giving its judgment, the court took into account the statement of the victim, which had been recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. In her statement the girl had accepted that she was forcibly converted.
Writing the order, the judge observed that the accused, identified as Mohammad Shane Alam, is a ‘Religion Convertor’ as defined under Section 2(i) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and he is liable to be prosecuted as per the provisions of the law. Taking into account the law and also the statement made by the victim/girl, the court denied bail to the applicant/accused – the Maulvi.
