High Court relief for man booked under UP’s anti-conversion law

Agencies

December 19, 2020

Allahabad, Dec 19: The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Police not to take any coercive action against a man booked under the recently promulgated Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 for allegedly trying to marry a woman with intentions of converting her to other religion.

A division bench comprising Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Vivek Agarwal was hearing a writ petition filed by Nadeem against whom an FIR was lodged at Mansoorpur police station in Muzaffarnagar.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, senior advocate SFA Naqvi argued that the ordinance is ultra vires of the Constitution and any criminal proceeding initiated under provisions of the ordinance shall be quashed.

Nadeem had sought quashing of the FIR lodged against him under sections 504, 506 and 120 B of the IPC and section 3/5 of the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.

According to the FIR, the petitioner often used to visit the complainant's house and by taking undue advantage of acquaintance with the wife of the complainant, was attempting to persuade her to change her religion so that he may marry her.

He also gifted a mobile phone to the complainant's wife.

The bench observed, "There is no material before us that any force or coercive process is being adopted by the petitioner to convert the wife of the informant."

"The victim (wife of complainant) is admittedly an adult who understands her well being. She as well as the petitioner have a fundamental right to privacy and being grown up adults who are aware of the consequences of their alleged relationship," it added.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Taliban appoints Ikramuddin Kamil as acting consul in Mumbai as India-Afghan ties improve

News Network

November 12,2024

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

Comments