The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested five individuals, including two clerics, in Bijnor district for allegedly compelling a Hindu man to convert to Islam before marrying a Muslim woman, with the case registered under the state's anti-conversion law following a complaint by the man’s father.
The wedding took place in Dhampur, where the woman's parents had initially opposed the marriage due to religious differences but later agreed on the condition that the man embrace Islam, leading to his conversion and name change.
The situation escalated when members of Hindutva groups accompanied the complainant to the police station, demanding action against those involved in the alleged forced conversion, prompting authorities to arrest the clerics and the woman’s parents while allowing the groom to go free after questioning.
The police stated that one of the clerics involved had requested the groom’s identification for the marriage ceremony, but upon realising his original faith, he left the premises fearing legal repercussions.
Authorities maintained that the groom had willingly accepted conversion as a prerequisite set by the woman’s family, but the involvement of religious figures and the sequence of events led to criminal proceedings, culminating in the arrests and subsequent transfer of the accused to the district jail.