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Maulana Umar Gautam gets bail in conversion case

A local court in Lucknow has granted bail to Maulana Umar Gautam in an alleged forced religious conversion case.

Additional Sessions Judge (IV) at Fatehpur Rajendra Singh granted bail to Gautam on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties of the like amount.

The Bench noted that the alleged offence was committed in early 2020, while the anti-conversion law under which the accused has been booked, came into force on November 27, 2020.

The accused was charged under Section 420, Section 120-B, Section 153-A, Section 153-B, Section 295-A and Sections 3 and 5 Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Act.

As per the facts of the case, Umar had taught from May 1, 2019 to March 19, 2021 in Noorul Huda English Medium School, whose manager was Maulana Umar Sharif Mahajri.

It was alleged that in this school, Islamic education was given to Hindu children, Namaz was taught and when some children refused, they were either lured or intimidated.

The prosecution had alleged that Gautam forced Hindu teachers to adopt Islam by insulting Hindu deities, using hateful words, and lured to send them abroad with good facilities and a lot of money.

When the complainant refused to change her religion, she was removed from services and later received death threats, it was claimed.

Pursuant to the filing of the complaint, Gautam was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police’s anti-terror squad (ATS) on charges of mass conversion of people into Islam through inducements such as marriage, job, money and mental pressure.

Counsel for Umar, Advocate Zia Ul Qayuim Jilani, submitted that his client was removed on administrative grounds and for some reasons better known to the management of the institution.

Due to an ongoing litigation between the complainant and the management of the school, for the purpose of taking revenge, the instant FIR was lodged solely with the objective and intention to harass and humiliate Gautam, he argued.

The first information report (FIR) had been filed against Umar under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 for allegedly pressurising a school teacher to convert her religion.

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