Shamli man ‘detained’ by father after conversion: Allahabad High Court says produce him

The Allahabad High Court, sitting as a single bench under Justice Sandeep Jain, issued an order on Wednesday directing that Ayush Malik, a 31‑year‑old resident of Shamli, be produced before the court on September 16. The order follows a habeas corpus petition filed by Sultan, a friend of Malik, who claims the young man is being illegally detained after converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim woman against his father’s wishes.

The petition cites that Malik voluntarily renounced Hinduism, embraced Islam, and subsequently married Chandni Qureshi, a 28‑year‑old physiotherapist, despite opposition from his father, Devraj Singh Malik, a prominent businessman. After the marriage, Chandni and her father, Islam Qureshi, were arrested under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, facing charges that include extortion, criminal intimidation, conspiracy, forgery and cheating. The court warned that if Malik is not produced, both the state authorities and his father must file personal affidavits explaining the failure and the steps taken to secure his appearance.

The dispute gained public attention after a video in early June showed a man performing Eid prayers, which police identified as Malik. He later told media that his conversion was a personal choice made years before meeting Chandni. His father, who runs Bharat Medicos, filed a police complaint on June 6 alleging his son had been “brain‑washed” and forced to convert for the marriage. Subsequent footage showed Malik with a shaved head performing a Hindu puja at a relative’s home, leading relatives to claim he had reverted to Hinduism. The case highlights the tensions surrounding Uttar Pradesh’s anti‑conversion legislation and the broader debate over personal liberty versus familial and societal pressures.