Gujarat HC rejects pleas to quash FIR in religious conversion case

The Gujarat High Court has ruled that individuals claiming to be victims of religious conversion can still be booked for the offence if they engage in acts of inducing others to convert, dismissing pleas by several accused to quash an FIR against them.

The accused, who claimed to have been converted to other religion, argued they were victims and should not be prosecuted. However, the court noted the FIR’s allegations that the accused lured others into similar conversions through pressure and allurements.

The FIR stems from a complaint alleging that in 2018, the complainant was converted in Surat through misrepresentation, including being asked to provide a thumb impression on a pre-typed document, after which his name was changed and a new Aadhar card was issued. It further claims that he received foreign financial aid to convert around 100 individuals from 37 families by offering money and other incentives.

The court also noted that one petitioner had visited India 25 times before the FIR was filed and was uncooperative during the investigation, further justifying its decision to reject the pleas.

The FIR names nine accused, with a total of 16 individuals charged following the investigation. Several of the accused had sought to quash the FIR, but the court found no grounds to entertain their petitions.

The FIR alleges a nationwide conspiracy of converting people, backed by foreign funding, and claims the accused threatened the complainant, citing connections from Kashmir to Pakistan, when the complainant had resisted.

The court was hearing petitions from multiple accused seeking to dismiss charges under IPC Sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 153(B)(1)(C) (imputations prejudicial to national integration), 153(A)(1) (promoting enmity between religious groups), and 295(A) (deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings).

The accused, who got converted, argued they were victims and should not be prosecuted. However, the court noted the FIR’s allegations that the accused lured others into converting into other religion through pressure and allurements.

The FIR was lodged with Amod police station of Bharuch district in the year 2021.