Allahabad HC asks for two adult sisters to be brought before it in religious conversion and marriage case
The Allahabad High Court has ordered the production of two adult sisters who allege they are being illegally confined by their father and local police following their voluntary conversion to Islam. The court emphasized that as adults, the women have a constitutional right to choose their own faith and marriage partners, provided the decisions are made without coercion.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing legal tension in India between personal autonomy, constitutional rights, and the enforcement of state-level anti-conversion laws.
: The Allahabad High Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh police and the father of two adult sisters to present them before the court on August 6. The case involves allegations that the women were illegally confined after they chose to convert to Islam and marry partners of their own choice.
The order was passed by Justice Sandeep Jain on July 30 while hearing a petition filed by Divya Bhatia (now Zoya Diya Bhatia), 20, and Anshu Bhatia (now Amina Anshu Bhatia), 35.
The sisters, through their counsel, informed the court that they voluntarily converted from Hinduism to Islam without any pressure, force, or inducement. They also said they had decided to marry according to their own wishes, which they argued is their constitutional right as adults.
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