Prayagraj : Terming it a serious matter, the Allahabad high court has directed the production of a Shamli man who is allegedly being detained after converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim woman.
Accordingly, Justice Sandeep Jain directed the state and businessman Devraj Singh Malik to produce his 31-year-old son, Ayush, before the high court on Sept 16 after a habeas corpus petition alleged that he was being illegally detained following his conversion to Islam and marriage to a Muslim woman. They claimed that Ayush’s father, who opposed the marriage, had lodged a false FIR against Chandni and her relatives on June 6 under Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and BNS Sections 318(4) (cheating), 336(3) (forgery), 338 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc. ), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 308(5) (extortion). In its Sept 9 order, the high court said the allegations of illegal detention and the involvement of state authorities were serious and accordingly directed Ayush’s production.
Stay updated with the latest Prayagraj news. The petition was filed by Mohd Kari Sultan, a Saharanpur resident who described himself as a friend of Ayush. Sultan submitted that he had converted and married Chandni Qureshi voluntarily, without any undue influence or inducement. Ayush’s father, Devraj, denied the allegations, claiming that members of the minority community were trying to take away his son and that the court case was part of their strategy. Download the TOI App.