Karnataka registers first case under anti-conversion law, Bengaluru man held
BENGALURU: A 23-year-old man working at a chicken stall was arrested by the Yeshwanthpur police on Thursday night under the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act for reportedly luring and marrying an 18-year-old girl. This is the first case registered under the newly passed law, commonly known as the anti-conversion law, that was notified on September 30.
The arrested, Syed Mueen, is a resident of BK Nagar in Yeshwanthpur. He has been accused of converting the girl to Islam after luring her on the promise of marriage. The girl’s family, which hails from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, has been staying in Bengaluru for the last 10 years.
“The police have acted based on a complaint filed by the girl’s mother. The accused was arrested on Thursday night and has been remanded in judicial custody. The police are in the process of recording the girl’s statement. A case has been registered under Section 5 of the new Act against Mueen,” Vinayak Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), told TNIE.
As per Section 5, forced conversion is punishable with three to five years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25,000. Surendra Yadav, the girl’s father, is a painter and Gyanti Devi is her mother. Devi filed a complaint with the police on October 5. She had stated that the accused was behind her daughter for the last six months. The police had registered a missing person’s case. However, religious conversion was not suspected in the first complaint. The girl returned on October 8 and told her parents that she had converted to Islam. After efforts to change her mind to leave Mueen failed, Devi filed the second complaint on Thursday.
The police found out that the girl had not adhered to the procedure that needed to be followed under the new law. Mueen is said to have married her after the conversion at a dargah in Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh. The girl has told the police that she was not forced into conversion and she did it of her own will.
PROCEDURE
A declaration in Form I should be given to the district magistrate 30 days in advance by any person desiring to change religion. People performing conversion must also submit a declaration in Form II at least 30 days in advance. Objections will be called and inquiry conducted if any objections are received within 30 days. Intention, purpose and cause for the proposed conversion should be established in the inquiry.