Allahabad HC orders man to produce son in conversion-marriage case

Prayagraj (UP): The Allahabad High Court has directed a man to produce his son before it on September 16 after the son alleged that he was illegally detained by his father over his decision to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim woman.

The order was passed by Justice Sandeep Jain while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Ayush Malik through his friend Sultan.

It was submitted before the court that Malik (31) of his own free will and volition renounced Hinduism and embraced Islam without any coercion, undue influence or inducement.

He further submitted that he married Chandni Qureshi against the wishes of his father Devraj Singh Malik.

Aggrieved by this conduct, his father lodged an FIR under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and also under some provisions of the BNS against his son’s wife and her relatives at Shamli police station in Shamli district.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that in collusion and connivance with the father, the state authorities and their functionaries facilitated the illegal detention of the corpus.

Directing to produce the son, the court in its order passed on September 9 observed, “From a perusal of the documents annexed with the writ petition, it prima facie appears that the corpus, Ayush Malik has voluntarily renounced Hinduism and embraced Islam and thereafter solemnized marriage with Chandni Qureshi against the wishes of his father.”

“It further appears that, consequent upon the aforesaid acts of the corpus, his father lodged an FIR,” the court added.

The court said, “The allegations made by learned counsel for the petitioner regarding the alleged illegal detention of his client and the purported involvement of the state authorities and their functionaries in facilitating such detention are serious in nature and therefore, warrant immediate consideration by this court.”