Allahabad High Court Frees Man After Forced Confinement Over Conversion, Relationship With Muslim Woman
· India · The Hindu, Scroll.in
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday ordered the release of 31-year-old Ayush Malik, who was illegally confined by his father after he converted to Islam in 2014 and entered a relationship with a Muslim woman, Chandni Qureshi. The court ruled that his choice of partner and religious conversion were protected under Articles 21 (right to life and personal liberty) and 25 (freedom of conscience and religion) of the Constitution. Police in Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh, had earlier registered a case under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 against Ms. Qureshi and her father, leading to their arrests. Ayush, who claimed his father had opposed the relationship and subjected him to threats, was granted bail in July but remained confined until the court’s intervention. The bench dismissed his father’s claims that he had been influenced by others, stating no evidence had been presented to contradict Ayush’s testimony.
Why it matters
This ruling sets a precedent for protecting individual autonomy over religious conversion and personal relationships, particularly in cases where family opposition leads to coercive confinement. It also highlights the challenges faced by interfaith couples in Uttar Pradesh under religious conversion laws, which critics argue can be misused to target personal choices.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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