After intervention by the Allahabad high court earlier this month, the additional district magistrate (administration), Prayagraj, has approved the religious conversion application of a Muslim man who voluntarily embraced Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) in 2022.
A division bench comprising Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Indrajeet Shukla disposed of a petition filed by Anil Pandit (formerly Mohammad Ahashan), an assistant professor in the English department of a constituent college of the University of Allahabad, after the ADM concerned, through an order dated May 14, allowed his conversion application.
Advocate Ashish Srivastava appeared for the petitioner.
On May 6, the high court had directed the ADM to reconsider the petitioner’s application and pass a fresh order, taking a pragmatic view of the matter. The court asked the authority to consider the first two police inquiry reports, which had concluded that the conversion was voluntary and free from undue influence, along with the court’s own interaction with the petitioner and his wife.
Granting relief to the couple, the court had also directed that the petitioner be allowed to live with his wife with dignity and that the police should not interfere in their lives. The court had ordered the authority concerned to pass a fresh decision within three weeks.
The petitioner, an assistant professor at a constituent college of the Allahabad University, had submitted a declaration on January 12, 2022, under Section 8 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, expressing his intention to convert.
On February 11, 2022, the priest conducting the ceremony informed the district magistrate about the proposed conversion ritual. The conversion ceremony was subsequently performed at an Arya Samaj temple on March 14, 2022.
Between 2022 and 2023, two police inquiry reports were submitted to the district magistrate, both confirming that the conversion was voluntary and not induced by coercion, allurement or undue influence. Despite these findings, the ADM sought another police report after a criminal case was registered against the petitioner by his wife’s father, even though the complainant was not involved at the time of the conversion.
On August 9, 2024, the ADM rejected the petitioner’s application for a conversion certificate, relying on a subsequent police report submitted in July 2024, which referred to the FIR and the filing of a charge sheet against him.
According to the court record, the ADM inferred from the later report that the petitioner had converted solely to marry the woman and had allegedly influenced or enticed her. A monetary transaction of ₹1 lakh between the couple in April 2021 was also treated by the ADM as evidence to question the validity of the conversion.
On being contacted, Anil Pandit (formerly Mohammad Ahashan) initially said he was unable to speak as he was driving and later did not respond to repeated calls on his mobile phone.
According to available information, he is married to a Hindu woman who teaches at an Intermediate college in Ballia. The couple reportedly married in accordance with Hindu rites and customs.
Additional district magistrate (administration) Upma Pandey said the due process prescribed under the law was being followed on the basis of the documents and applications submitted.
