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First case filed under anti-conversion law in Karnataka; 24-year-old held
The family of a 19-year-old girl alleged that their daughter was forcefully converted to Islam by 24-year-old Syed Mueen on the promise of marriage
A 24-year-old Muslim man has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody under the recently promulgated Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act for allegedly converting a woman under the pretext of marrying her, police said, adding that this is the first case under the new law which was notified on September 30.
“We registered the FIR on October 13 under Section 5 of the Act and arrested Syed Mueen, a resident of BK Nagar in northern Bengaluru. He runs a chicken stall in our station limits and the family of the girl alleged that he had forcefully converted their 19-year-old daughter to Islam on the promise of marriage,” Vinayak Patil, deputy commissioner of police (north), told HT.
“Whoever contravenes the provisions of Section 3 (Prohibition of conversion from one religion to another religion by misrepresentation, force, fraud or by the promise of marriage) shall, without prejudice to any civil liability, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term of three years but which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine of ₹25,000,” according to Section 5 of the law.
According to police, the girl’s family hails from Uttar Pradesh and they have been living in Bengaluru for past 10 years. Her father was working as a painter in the city and her mother is a homemaker.
“The first complaint was registered on October 5, when the mother filed a missing complaint. On October 8, the girl came home. She came to the police and said that she had married on her own will. However, she told the police and her family that she had converted to Islam after marrying him. Following this the mother filed a complaint for forced conversion,” said an official of Yashwantpura police station.
The officer added that probe revealed that Mueen took the girl to a dargah in Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh where the religious conversion ceremony was performed. “We have registered a case based on the mother’s complaint, since under Section 4 of the Act, any converted person, his parents, brother, sister or any other person who is related to him by blood, marriage or adoption or in any form associated or colleague may lodge a complaint about such conversion. So, we have acted in accordance with the law,” the official said.
The officer pointed out that even though the girl denied that she was forced to convert, as per the law, any person who desires to change his/her religion is required to give a declaration at least 30 days in advance to the district magistrate or the additional district magistrate.
Advocate BT Venkatesh said, “If conversion has taken place outside the state, the law will not be applicable. But, now police and family have put the onus of proving this on the accused.”
