Allahabad HC upholds religious conversion of two women, orders UP govt. and father to pay ₹25 lakh compensation

Published 10 August 2026 · india

The Allahabad High Court last week directed the release of two adult Hindu women who claimed to have voluntarily converted to Islam. Holding that their

The Allahabad High Court last week directed the release of two adult Hindu women who claimed to have voluntarily converted to Islam. Holding that their father had unlawfully confined them because of their religious choices, the court also ordered him and the Uttar Pradesh government to jointly pay ₹25 lakh in compensation for the violation of their fundamental rights. Justice Sandeep Jain, hearing a habeas corpus petition on August 6, held that the siblings aged 35 and 20 years were entitled to decide their faith, residence and personal affairs as adults. ‘Grave violation of rights’ “Ms. Diya Bhatia alias Zoya Diya Bhatia and Ms. Anshu Bhatia alias Amina Anshu Bhatia are declared to be free to reside at any place and with any person of their own choice, without any interference from respondent No. 4 (father of the girls) or any other person or the State and its functionaries,” the court said while describing the case as an exceptionally grave violation of constitutional rights. While ordering the ₹25 lakh compensation, the court permitted the State government to recover 50% from the father, Anil Kumar Bhatia, and the remaining 50% from any delinquent public servant whose acts or omissions contributed to the unconstitutional deprivation of the women’s liberty, subject to law and due process.

The High Court also directed the father not to interfere with either woman’s personal liberty, movement, residence, profession or religious choices. The State authorities were directed to ensure that the women could live peacefully and to provide protection if required. The father was additionally ordered to hand over their passports, educational certificates, identity documents, bank passbooks, cheque books, conversion-related documents and other original documents and belongings within seven days. Help of local police In their plea, the women, through their counsel, had alleged that their father filed a police complaint in Agra in May 2025 to stop them from making these choices. It was further alleged that, with the help of local police, they were being illegally confined because they acted against their father’s wishes. The sisters’ lawyer argued that the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 does not apply in this case because there is no evidence that the conversions were carried out through force, fraud, coercion, or deception. On the last hearing on July 31, the court had directed the State to produce the petitioners before it on August 6.