‘No Threats, No Pressure’: Bhopal Court Acquits Muslim Man In Conversion Case As Wife Denies Police Claims

Last Updated:September 14, 2026, 05:54 IST

The court observed that the prosecution failed to produce any material evidence, independent witnesses, or documentary proof to substantiate the charge of fraudulent conversion

The Bhopal judgment joins a growing series of rulings across various high courts and sessions courts examining cases registered under state anti-conversion statutes. (Representational image)

A session court in Bhopal has acquitted a 26-year-old Muslim man booked under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act after the prosecution failed to substantiate allegations of forced religious conversion and coercion. The acquittal comes after the complainant, a Hindu woman who married the accused, explicitly denied all charges of threats, fraud, or pressure before the judicial magistrate.

Complainant Denies Forced Conversion Charges

The legal proceedings were initiated in 2024 following an FIR registered by local police based on a complaint alleging unlawful conversion for marriage. The prosecution had charged the accused under sections of the state’s anti-conversion law, alleging that he used a false identity to marry the woman and subsequently pressured her to change her religion.

However, during cross-examination and formal statement recording under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the woman refuted the police narrative entirely.

• Voluntary Consent: The woman affirmed that she had entered into the marriage out of her own free will and with full knowledge of her partner’s background.
• No Threats or Coercion: She explicitly testified that neither the accused nor his family had issued threats, exerted physical abuse, or demanded religious conversion.
• Retraction of FIR Claims: She clarified that the original police report stemmed from miscommunication and familial pressure rather than any criminal wrongdoing by the accused.

Prosecution Case Collapses in Court

In its ruling, the court observed that the prosecution failed to produce any material evidence, independent witnesses, or documentary proof to substantiate the charge of fraudulent conversion.

The presiding judge noted that criminal liability under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act requires clear proof of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, or coercion. Given the absence of supporting testimony from the primary victim and a lack of corroborating physical evidence, the court ruled that the charges could not stand legal scrutiny, leading to an absolute acquittal.

Judicial Precedents on Anti-Conversion Laws

The Bhopal judgment joins a growing series of rulings across various high courts and sessions courts examining cases registered under state anti-conversion statutes. Legal experts note that judicial scrutiny in interfaith marriage cases consistently prioritises voluntary adult consent, individual liberty, and the right to choose a life partner under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution over unsubstantiated allegations.

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Why did a Bhopal court acquit a Muslim man charged under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act?

The session court acquitted the 26-year-old man because the prosecution failed to provide material evidence, independent witnesses, or documentary proof of forced conversion. Crucially, the complainant—the Hindu woman who married him—explicitly denied all allegations of threats, fraud, or pressure, refuting the police narrative entirely during her cross-examination and formal statement recording.

What did the complainant state regarding her marriage and the forced conversion allegations in the Bhopal court case?

The complainant testified that she entered into the marriage out of her own free will and with full knowledge of her partner’s background. She explicitly stated that neither the accused nor his family had threatened, physically abused, or pressured her to convert. She further clarified that the original police report resulted from miscommunication and familial pressure rather than any criminal wrongdoing.

What legal standard did the Bhopal court emphasize for criminal liability under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act?

The presiding judge noted that establishing criminal liability under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act requires clear proof of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, or coercion. Because the primary victim did not support the charges and there was no corroborating physical evidence, the court ruled that the allegations could not stand legal scrutiny.

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Pathikrit Sen Gupta

Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He tra…Read More

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