Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has granted anticipatory bail to a schoolgirl who was accused of brainwashing a minor student, forcing her to wear a burqa, and compelling her to convert to Islam.
Allowing the anticipatory bail plea of Malishka, Justice Avnish Saxena, in the order dated May 4, observed that apart from the student's statement, there was nothing on record to establish the girl's involvement in the alleged crime.
Court Proceedings and Submissions
During the court proceedings, the counsel for the accused submitted that she was studying in the school prior to the victim's admission. It was contended that there is no other report of the accused pressuring any other girl to change her religion.
On the other hand, the state government's counsel opposed the anticipatory bail, submitting that a specific statement of the victim was recorded under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which showed that she was being brainwashed and pressured to change her religion.
FIR and Allegations
An FIR was lodged by the brother of the alleged victim, a Class XII student in Moradabad, alleging that his sister was being pressured by five Muslim classmates, including the present accused, at a local tuition centre to wear a veil (burqa) and accept Islam. The FIR, dated January 22, 2026, was lodged at Bilari police station in Moradabad. In her statements recorded under sections 180 and 183 of the BNSS, the victim referred to a December 2025 incident in which the girls allegedly brought a veil and made her wear it.
The High Court, after examining the facts, concluded that the allegations were not substantiated by sufficient evidence beyond the victim's statement, leading to the grant of anticipatory bail to the accused.
