HC relief for man booked under U.P.’s anti-conversion law
[ad_1]
The Bench noticed, “There is no material before us that any force or coercive process is being adopted by the petitioner to convert the wife of the informant.”
The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to not take any coercive motion in opposition to a man booked under the lately promulgated Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 for allegedly making an attempt to marry a girl with intentions of changing her to different faith.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Vivek Agarwal was listening to a writ petition filed by Nadeem in opposition to whom an FIR was lodged at Mansoorpur police station in Muzaffarnagar.
Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, senior advocate SFA Naqvi argued that the ordinance is extremely vires of the Constitution and any legal continuing initiated under provisions of the ordinance shall be quashed.
Mr. Nadeem had sought the quashing of the FIR lodged in opposition to him under sections 504, 506 and 120 B of the IPC and part 3/5 of the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.
According to the FIR, the petitioner typically visited the complainant’s home and took undue benefit of his acquaintance with the complainant’s spouse to steer her to vary her faith in order to marry her.
The Bench noticed, “There is no material before us that any force or coercive process is being adopted by the petitioner to convert the wife of the informant.”
“The victim (wife of complainant) is admittedly an adult who understands her well being. She as well as the petitioner have a fundamental right to privacy and being grown up adults who are aware of the consequences of their alleged relationship,” it added.
