Allahabad HC Rejects VCs Plea, Orders Surrender in Illegal Conversion Case

The Allahabad High Court has taken a strong stance against illegal religious conversion, refusing to quash an FIR filed against the vice-chancellor and officials of an agriculture university in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The court has directed them to surrender by December 20 for regular bail.

The Allahabad High Court has declined to quash an FIR registered against the vice-chancellor and other officials of an agriculture university in connection with a case of alleged illegal religious conversion. The court has directed them to surrender before it by December 20 for regular bail.

Accusations Against University Officials

The accused, including Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Science (SHUATS) vice-chancellor Rajendra Bihari Lal and director Vinod Bihari Lal, are facing allegations of persuading a woman to adopt Christianity by offering her a job and other inducements. The FIR was registered at the Bewar police station of Hamirpur district on November 4 based on a complaint filed by the woman.

Court's Observations

A division bench comprising justices Rahul Chaturvedi and Mohd Azhar Husain Idrisi observed that no religion or place of worship would approve of such malpractices. The court stated that while an individual's choice to convert to a different religion is a separate matter, prevailing upon a young girl's mind by providing gifts, clothing, and other amenities and then asking her to get baptized is an unpardonable sin.

Charges Against the Accused

The officials, including the VC, have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 376D (gang rape), as well as provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.

Victim's Allegations

According to the FIR, the woman, who belongs to a lower-middle-class family, was allegedly trapped by another woman who took her to church regularly. The victim has alleged that she was subjected to regular sexual exploitation by the accused and was pressured to bring other women for conversion and other illegal activities.

Petitioners' Arguments

The petitioners' counsel argued that the victim was offered a job at SHUATS but was later dismissed from service in 2022. They claimed that the victim had fabricated the story mentioned in the FIR as retaliation against the university's higher officials, including the VC.

Court's Decision

The court, while refusing to quash the FIR, noted that the allegations leveled against the accused are extremely serious and horrifying. It observed that the accused exploited the victim's financial situation and allured her to change her religious beliefs, and subsequently continued to exert influence over her.

Investigation and Report

The court, without making any judgment on the outcome of the investigation, directed the Hamirpur superintendent of police to personally supervise the probe being conducted by three senior police officers of circle officer rank. The SP has been instructed to objectively conduct the investigation and submit a report before the magistrate within 90 days.