FIR Lodged Against 9 People In UP For Forced Religious Conversion

The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2021 was passed by the state Legislative Assembly by voice vote in February 2021.

Image used for representational purpose only.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: An FIR has been registered against nine people for allegedly forcing a few people in Meerut to convert to Christianity and threatening them against going to Police, as reported by the news agency ANI on Saturday.

The FIR registered u/s of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act states that the accused helped them during the lockdown and encouraged them to visit Church.

FIR lodged against 9 people u/s of UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act for allegedly forcing a few people in Meerut to convert to Christianity&threatening them against going to Police.FIR states accused helped them during lockdown&encouraged them to visit Church

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 29, 2022

The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2021 was passed by the state Legislative Assembly by voice vote in February 2021.

The nine persons named in the FIR are Chhabili alias Shiva, Binwa, Anil, Sardar, Nikku, Basant, Prema, Titli, and Reena under Section 3, 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion Prohibition Act. Police are yet to make an arrest, as reported by the news agency PTI. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2021 was passed by the state Legislative Assembly by voice vote in February 2021.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan said a complaint was received regarding religious conversions and Brahmapuri police station had been asked to investigate the matter, PTI reported.

"On the basis of the preliminary investigation report, a case was registered against nine people, including three women, on Friday. The investigation is going on," PTI quoted an officer as saying.

The complaint was filed by a few residents of Mangatapuram Colony. According to the complainants, during COVID-19, some people provided food and financial assistance to the poor living in the area. They alleged that the accused then forced these people to convert to Christianity, the police said.

"Not only this, pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses are also being thrown out by the accused from the houses of the people of Mangatapuram Colony. On protesting or complaining about the incident to anyone, the accused come home with knives and sticks and threaten to kill," PTI reported citing the complaint.

While there is no mention of how many people have been converted, local BJP leader Deepak Sharma claimed that more than 100 people living from Mangatapuram Colony had allegedly been converted to Christianity.

"This has been going on for the past three years. During the COVID-19 period, the people were given ration and money to convert to Christianity. Now, other people are being threatened to convert as well," Sharma alleged.

(With agencies’ Inputs)