Bareilly: In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, five minor Muslim girls, aged 15 to 17, have been booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The charges stem from allegations that they coerced their 16-year-old Hindu friend into wearing a burqa.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered under Section 3 of the anti-conversion law following a complaint filed by the Hindu girl's brother, Daksh Chaudhary. According to the Times of India, the alleged incident occurred on December 12, 2025, but came to light after the police received Chaudhary's complaint on Friday.
Section 3 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act addresses the "prohibition of conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, and allurement". If found guilty under this law, the accused, particularly if the victim is a minor, could face rigorous imprisonment for a term of no less than five years, potentially extending to 14 years.
According to Kunwar Akash Singh, SP (rural) in Moradabad, an FIR was registered as soon as the complaint was received, and further investigation is underway.
Chaudhary stated that his sister had been regularly meeting with one of the accused girls for around two months. He expressed concern that the five girls who allegedly made his sister wear a burqa might have had ill intentions, which prompted him to approach the police.
A video purportedly showing the incident has been circulating on social media. The clip shows girls in a narrow alley, with one wearing a burqa over her dress while the others assist her.
According to a police officer familiar with the case, the accused girls and the Hindu girl are friends, and all are believed to be minors. The officer stated that the girls were on their way to a restaurant that would take them past the victim's brother's shop and the Hindu girl may have worn the burqa to avoid being seen by him. The police added that the local authorities registered a case following the family member's complaint due to the sensitivity of the matter and that the backgrounds and motives of the girls are under investigation. As the accused are minors, police said they cannot be immediately taken into custody.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, has faced controversy since its enactment. Section 4 specifies that an "aggrieved person, his/her parents, brother, sister or any other person who is related to him/her by blood, marriage or adoption" may file a complaint. Concerns have been raised that the law is misused, with a significant number of FIRs being filed by third parties, including Hindutva groups, rather than the alleged victims or their close relatives.
