Supreme Court Dismisses FIRs Against SHUATS VC, Officials In Conversion Case

The Supreme Court today, on October 17, has quashed the FIRs and the consequential criminal proceedings under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, against the Vice Chancellor and other officials of the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Science (SHUATS), Prayagraj, over alleged forced mass religious conversions of people to Christianity.

A bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra was hearing the petition.

The Special Leave Petitions were filed under Article 36 against an order of the Allahabad High Court refusing to quash FIRs lodged against the VC Dr Rajendra Bihari Lal, Director Vinod Bihari Lal, and other officials of the institute.

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Another writ petition was filed under Article 32 requesting to quash all FIRs and, alternatively, transfer all similar complaints to Naini, Allahabad, and consolidate them all, and for a stay of coercive action on them.

The petitioners complained of continuous harassment and intimidation by the Uttar Pradesh government, for being a religious minority, and stated of lack of evidence in support of the arguments for alleged involvement in forced conversions.

Considering the importance of the matter, the Attorney General for India, R. Venkataramani, was asked to assist the Court relating to the issue of forceful and deceitful religious conversions. On the last hearing, the AGI submitted that the Court should adopt a ‘broad view’ in the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, adding a caveat that there cannot be “a prosecution which is unfair under the law and a person’s liberty cannot be taken for granted”.

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He informed the Court that the present FIRs disclose the commission of a cognisable offence. The evidence, including Aadhaar card printing machines, has been recovered from the university’s premises along with bogus Aadhaar cards. These were allegedly used for forceful conversion.

Next, he perused Section 4, which allows “any aggrieved person,” including persons, brother, sister, or any other person related to blood, marriage, or adoption, may lodge an FIR on such conversions which contravened provisions of Section 3. On seeking clarification as to who the aggrieved persons were who were entitled to file an FIR in the present case, the AGI stated that, except for the FIR lodged in 2024, all are by aggrieved persons.