Delhi HC Directs Police To Protect Woman Who Alleged Being Harassed Over Conversion To Islam

Justice C. Hari Shankar directed the Delhi Police to take adequate steps to protect the life and safety of the 29-year-old woman till the matter is taken up by the regular bench.

New Delhi:  The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the police to ensure the protection of the woman, who alleged that she was threatened and harassed for converting to Islam.

The vacation bench of the High Court directed the listing of this case before a roster bench on July 5.

Justice C. Hari Shankar directed the Delhi Police to take adequate steps to protect the life and safety of the 29-year-old woman till the matter is taken up by the regular bench.

“This is a matter which appropriately should be taken by the regular bench as per the roster, given the nature of the averments in the petition. It is made clear that this vacation bench is not expressing any opinion one way or the other regarding the correctness of the said averments,” said the vacation bench of the High Court.

Representing the Delhi Police in the matter, advocate Sameer Vashist earlier told the court that attempts were made to contact the woman at the address mentioned in the petition but she could not be traced.

Meanwhile, the woman’s advocate Tanya Agarwal informed the court that she has had to repeatedly change the address given the apprehensions and will provide the current location to the counsel representing the police.

The woman has approached the court seeking her safety and that of her family members as well as protection of her privacy.

“Owing to her conversion of religion, she and her family are being targeted and malicious contents about her are being published in the media every day which needs to be immediately stopped,” Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, the woman’s counsel, said in her plea and informed that she resides in Delhi but originally belongs to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The woman converted to Islam on May 27 “with my own free will and without any threat or coercion from anyone”, said the petition.

Her plea, however, adds that she has been receiving calls from “different media persons” since June 23 threatening to publish news about her conversion.