Allahabad HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of married man booked under UP anti-conversion law

The Allahabad High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of a married man booked under Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law for abduction and unlawful conversion of a 21-year-old woman for marriage.Justice SK Yadav dismissed the application filed by Javed alias Jabid Ansari of Etah while observing that Article 151 of the Constitution allows religious conversion but it doesnt allow forced conversion.According to the prosecution, on November 17, 2020, the woman went to the local market but did not return.

The Allahabad High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of a married man booked under Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law for abduction and unlawful conversion of a 21-year-old woman for marriage.

Justice SK Yadav dismissed the application filed by Javed alias Jabid Ansari of Etah while observing that Article 15(1) of the Constitution allows religious conversion but it doesn't allow forced conversion.

According to the prosecution, on November 17, 2020, the woman went to the local market but did not return. Her father went in search of her and came to know that Javed with the help of his two brothers-in-law abducted her to marry her. An FIR was registered by her father at the local police station.

Allegations against the accused were that he was already married but abducted the woman and forcefully converted her only for the purpose of marriage which was prohibited under section 5(1) of UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

The woman in her statement before a magistrate said that she was abducted on November 17, 2020, and was taken to a lawyer's chamber in Karkardooma court, New Delhi. Then, in the presence of some lawyers, she was made to sign some documents in Urdu and was kept intoxicated and was not fully conscious all the time, she claimed.

The court after hearing the parties concerned rejected the anticipatory bail application and said that the woman was made to sign a Nikahnama in Urdu which she could not understand. Further, the man was already married and religious conversion was done only for marriage.

The order was passed on July 20 and uploaded on Friday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)