Muslim man weds Hindu girl; 9 booked under anti-conversion law

Gurgaon: Faridabad Police registered an FIR and booked nine people under Haryana's anti-conversion law, in a first in the state. This was after the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, was allowed to be implemented by the state Cabinet last Thursday, The Indian Express reported.

The case was registered after a father of the Hindu faith filed a police complaint saying that his 22-year-old daughter recently married a Muslim man after she was converted. The Muslim man and his family converted his daughter forcefully and illegally, he alleged.

Police added that the case was registered against the interfaith couple, the man's brother, his parents, the Qazi who solemnised the marriage, two witnesses and a notary public.

The FIR was filed under sections 12 (1) and 12 (5) of The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2022. Conviction under the provisions will award imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of Rs 2 lakh.

The father's complaint, filed on November 8, read, "I am a follower of the Hindu religion. My daughter has been lured by a Muslim man. One year ago, the man, his brother and his parents came to our house with a marriage proposal for my daughter. I refused and explained to them that we were Hindus and would not allow her to marry a Muslim. They left saying that our permission was not required," TIE quoted.

The complaint further said that the father tried to reason with his daughter but in vain. On October 28 at 9.30 am, he dropped them off next to the bank where she works, but her office informed him half an hour later that she didn't report to work that day. Her phone went switched off, and he learnt that she got converted the same evening to marry the Muslim man, the complaint said.

According to the father, the couple sought police protection, and he got a notice from the district court regarding the same.

The father told TIE that his daughter was forcefully converted and her marriage was invalid since the prescribed procedure as per provisions of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2022 was not followed. Therefore, all the accused should be arrested, including his daughter, if she is found guilty, adding that this must be a message to others so that "other Hindu daughters are not illegally converted", the father said.

Meanwhile, the police said that no arrests had been made so far, and the accused were absconding. According to them, a person must file an application at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office if he/she wishes to change their religion. A notice period will be given for filing objections as well as notifying the families.

It was in March the Haryana Assembly passed the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022. It forbids religious conversions "through force, undue influence or allurement".