The Allahabad High Court has denied bail to a Central government employee accused of using his official position to convert people to Islam.
The Allahabad High Court recently affirmed a trial court’s decision to refuse bail to a Central Government employee accused of exploiting his official position to convert people to Islam [Irfan Shaikh @ Irfan Khan v State of UP].
WHAT DID THE COURT ORDER?
The evidence presented by the investigating officer alleging the appellant; Irfan Shaikh and his co-accused were engaging in anti-national conversion operations was considered; by a bench of Justices Ramesh Sinha and Brij Raj Singh.
“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, particularly the fact that; the Investigating Officer, after due investigation, has found cogent and clinching evidence against the appellant that, with the connivance of co-accused Umar Gautam and others, appellant is engaged in anti-national conversation by misusing his official position while working as an interpreter in the Sign Language Training and Research Centre, New Delhi, we do not find any good ground to dismiss the appeal.”
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE ACCUSED
The petitioner accused of being a critical connection in a conversion racket organised by Umar Gautam, a converted Muslim, and his friends through an organisation called Islamic Dawa Centre. It also claimed that; the Islamic Dawa Centre receiving large sums of money from numerous sources, including foreign countries.
It said that; their purpose and goal was to disrupt society’s peace and tranquillity by changing the country’s demography by converting residents from one religion to another.
WHAT FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATON?
The police discovered this material after; getting information from a sub-inspector that certain anti-social and anti-national individuals had targeted those from the weakest parts of society, including; children, women, and those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
During their inquiry into these claims, they discovered that; pupils at a deaf and dumb school illegally converted.
Under the Indian Penal Code and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, a First Information Report filed against Gautam and other accused parties.
Following that, the appellant’s role discovered. A charge sheet prepared when the investigating officer gathered material and conclusive evidence against the defendants, including the appellant.
WHAT WAS THE CONTENTIONS OF THE ACCUSED?
After the trial court denied his bail plea, the appellant went to the High Court.
He claimed that; he not a member of any organisation or involved in any criminal activity.
Since 2016, he has worked as an interpreter for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s Indian Sign Language Training and Research Centre in New Delhi.
DECISION OF THE COURT
The State contested the bail, claiming that; the appellant’s involvement discovered during the investigation.
It also claimed that; the appellant was complicit in the conversion of deaf and dumb people through deception.
After hearing the parties, the Court concluded that; there were insufficient reasons to grant bail to the appellant and upheld the trial court’s decision.
Read more blogs@advocatetanwar.com