Prayagraj: Following a reprimand from the Allahabad High Court earlier this month, the Additional District Magistrate (Administration) of Prayagraj approved the religious conversion application of a man who had voluntarily converted from Islam to Hinduism in 2022.
Taking the development on record, a division bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Indrajeet Shukla, in its order dated May 27, disposed of a petition filed by Anil Pandit, formerly known as Mohammad Ahashan. Pandit, an assistant professor at an institute affiliated with the University of Allahabad, had approached the court after his application remained pending.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Ashish Srivastava, the High Court on May 5 directed the ADM to decide the petitioner’s conversion application afresh. The court asked the authority to adopt a pragmatic approach while taking into account the first two inquiry reports, which confirmed that the conversion had been undertaken voluntarily.
Srivastava said the court had also considered its interaction with the petitioner and his wife before issuing the directions. Granting interim relief to the couple, the High Court observed that the petitioner was free to live a dignified married life with his wife and directed the police not to interfere in their personal affairs. The court further instructed the authority to pass a fresh order on the conversion application within three weeks.
On January 12, 2022, the petitioner made a declaration under Section 8 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, showing his intent to convert. On February 11, 2022, a priest also gave declaratory information to the District Magistrate regarding the upcoming conversion ritual. Finally, on March 14, 2022, the conversion rituals were performed at an Arya Samaj temple.
Court records show that two police inquiry reports submitted between 2022 and 2023 concluded that the petitioner’s conversion was voluntary and not the result of any coercion or undue influence. Despite these findings, the ADM sought another police report after a criminal case was registered against the petitioner on a complaint lodged by his wife’s father, who, according to him, had no role in the conversion process.
Subsequently, on August 9, 2024, the ADM rejected the petitioner’s request for a conversion certificate. The decision was based on a police report submitted in July 2024, which referred to the FIR registered against the petitioner and the filing of a chargesheet in the case. The ADM, relying on the latest police report, concluded that the petitioner had converted to Hinduism with the primary objective of marrying a Hindu woman whom he was alleged to have influenced or enticed.
The order also treated a financial transaction of Rs 1 lakh between the couple in April 2021 as a significant circumstance supporting the conclusion that the conversion was not legally valid. Based on these considerations, the ADM rejected the petitioner’s application for a conversion certificate.
However, after the High Court’s reprimand and directions, the ADM reconsidered the matter and approved the conversion application, taking into account the earlier positive inquiry reports and the court’s directive for a pragmatic approach.
