Woman Questioned In 'Conversion Racket' Case Moves Delhi HC Alleging Pressure From Vigilante Groups To Convert Back To Hindusim

A woman who converted to Islam in the year 2018 and was recently questioned over the phone by Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorism Squad in connection with the alleged 'Conversion Racket' case, has moved the Delhi High Court alleging pressure from Self styled vigilante groups to convert back to Hinduism.

Hearing her matter, the Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta on August 6 directed the Delhi Police to provide her the phone numbers of beat staff and SHOs of Jamia Nagar and Shaheen Bagh police stations so that in case of any emergency she may contact them.

The case in brief 

She submitted before the Court that she is a major, well educated, and in the year 2018, she voluntarily converted to Islam and thereafter she also went to study abroad.

However, she further stated in her plea that she was being called back by her father and other self-styled vigilante groups to come back to Varanasi and to convert back to Hinduism.

She also submitted before the Court that she apprehended her arrest in Delhi by the U.P. Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the Conversion Racket case, though, she added that she does not know in which FIR she is being required and in one FIR, Mufti Qazi Jahangir Alam has been arrested. 

She has also averred in her plea that with the help and guidance of Mufti Qazi Jahangir Alam and Maulana Umar Gautam, she got converted to Islam, without any pressure, coercion, threat, inducement or under influence from any side.

It may be noted that in the month of June Mufti Qazi Jahangir Alam and Umar Gautam were arrested by the UP police Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on the charges of mass conversion of people into Islam through inducements such as marriage, job and money, and mental pressure.

She also stated that she feared danger to her life and limb and alleged that attempts were being made to pressure her to revert to Hinduism, thus, she moved to the Delhi High Court seeking protection.

Court's order

Appearing before the Court through VC hearing, she expressed her apprehension of being arrested and therefore, chose not to disclose her address, to which, the Court noted and directed thus:

"...In the absence of the address being given by the petitioner, it would not be possible for the respondents to provide protection to the petitioner through beat staff and division officer. However, the phone numbers of the beat staff and the SHOs concerned, P.S. Jamia Nagar and P.S.Shaheen Bagh be provided to the learned counsel for the petitioner who would convey it to the petitioner and in case of emergency, the petitioner may contact the concerned beat staff and the SHOs concerned."

On the other hand, the additional Standing Counsel for the State submitted a short report informing the Court that no action was contemplated by the Delhi Police against her.

However, it was added that a request from the officers of ATS, U.P. had come to provide some necessary assistance for some investigation and that a status report in this regard with advance copy to the counsel for the petitioner would be submitted.

In view of this submission, the Court ordered that the petition be listed on August 26.

Case title - Ayesha alias Sapna Mishra v. Government of NCT of Delhi & Anr

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