The Allahabad High Court Wednesday directed the police not to harass a married couple allegedly facing harassment following the invocation of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 also called the “Love Jihad” law.
The plea was filed challenging an FIR lodged against them in 2017 under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (Kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Police Station Kamrauli, District Amethi.
The petitioners’ advocate submitted that they had been compelled now to approach the court due to the harassment by the police after the invocation of the “Love Jihad” law.
The couple had married out of their own will three years back and were living peacefully. They also had one child aged one and a half years.
The government’s advocate sought a week time to file the reply to the petition.
As an interim measure, the Court asked the police to stop harassing the couple till the next date of hearing.
“Considering the entire aspect of the matter, it is hereby provided that till the next date of listing, the petitioners shall not be harassed by the police on the basis of the impugned F.I.R”, the High Court ordered.
Last month also, the High Court came to the rescue of an inter-faith couple. It had quashed an FIR against a Muslim youth accused of kidnapping and inducing a Hindu woman to marry him.
