Supreme Court Grants Bail in Controversial Religious Conversion Case

The Supreme Court granted bail to Maulvi Syed Shad Kazmi, accused of unlawful religious conversion of a minor in Uttar Pradesh. The court criticized the lower courts for lacking courage in granting bail and emphasized the need for judicial discretion. The trial is ongoing and the petitioner was in custody for over 11 months.

On Monday, the Supreme Court granted bail to Maulvi Syed Shad Kazmi, an individual accused of orchestrating an unlawful religious conversion of a mentally-challenged minor in Uttar Pradesh. In a strong critique of the lower judiciary, the apex court urged the Allahabad High Court to exercise its discretion more judiciously when granting bail.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan emphasized that while granting bail involves judicial discretion, this discretion should not be swayed by personal biases, particularly in cases involving allegations of religious conversion. The bench underscored the need for judicial courage, noting that trial courts are often reluctant to grant bail, even when warranted.

The decision comes as Kazmi spent over 11 months in custody, with previous bail pleas denied by both the trial court and the high court. The Supreme Court argued that the lower courts' hesitance in this case contributed to an increasing backlog of bail applications reaching the apex court. Kazmi's trial continues, with seven witnesses examined so far, and his release is conditional upon terms set by the trial court.

(With inputs from agencies.)