A few inter-religious marriages see sham conversion only to facilitate process: Uttarakhand HC

The court was hearing a petition of an Uttarakhand resident who alleged that a man from another religious community abducted his daughter on the pretext of marrying her.

The Uttarakhand high court on Monday observed that a few inter-religious marriages see “sham conversion” only to facilitate the process.

Justice Rajeev Sharma said the court had come across a number of cases of inter-religious marriages (Representative Photo)

The single bench of Justice Rajeev Sharma made this observation while disposing of a petition related to an inter-religious marriage.

Justice Sharma said the court had come across a number of cases of inter-religious marriages. “However, in few instances, the conversion from one religion to another religion is a sham conversion only to facilitate the process of marriage,” Justice Sharma observed.

The court suggested the state government legislate a freedom of religion act on the lines of “Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968 as well as Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006, without hurting the religious sentiments of citizens”.

The court specified it was a suggestion and not an order.

The court was hearing the petition of an Uttarakhand resident who alleged that a man from another religious community abducted his daughter, who had turned 18 years old recently, on the pretext of marrying her. Later, he converted to Hinduism at a temple and married her, the petitioner alleged.

On being produced before the court, the girl said she wished to return with her father. The court granted her permission.