LUCKNOW, June 17: While upholding civil rights, Allahabad High Court, on Tuesday, stayed coercive action against a teenager who was booked under the anti-conversion law and granted conditional bail to him.
The accused, a Muslim youth was also slapped with charges under sections of the SC/ST Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Six months after his arrest, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday granted bail to a Bijnor teenager who was booked under anti-conversion law and accused of “inducing a girl to elope with him” with the “intention to marry and convert her”.
The girl, a Dalit, was walking back home with her former classmate, a Muslim youth, from a friend’s birthday party. This incident occurred in Bijnor district on December 14 night last year, a media report said.
According to eyewitnesses of the incident, the couple was allegedly chased by a group of men, beaten with sticks and questioned. When it became clear that they belonged to different religions, they were allegedly whisked away to a local police station.
The accused was booked under the anti-conversion law and slapped with charges under sections of the SC/ST Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
During the hearing, counsels Ramesh Kumar and Ramesh Chandra Yadav on behalf of the applicant argued that he “has been falsely implicated in the present case due to ulterior motive”.
While praying for bail, the lawyers argued that the case has “general allegations”, and that the applicant did not “entice the victim, however, a concocted and false story has been set up by the prosecution whereas the applicant has not committed any offence as alleged”.
Justice Vivek Kumar Singh granted the applicant bail with several conditions.