An Indore court convicted a woman and her lover for illegally converting her minor son. Ilyas Qureshi married Prarthana and later facilitated the boy’s religious conversion. The child was forcibly circumcised, and his name was changed in school records. The case highlights concerns over forced conversions and legal protections for minors.
A district court in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, recently convicted two Muslim men and the mother of a minor Jain boy for the illegal religious conversion of the child.
Additional Sessions Judge Jitendra Singh Kushwaha sentenced Prarthana Shivhare (27), her partner Iliyas Ahmed Qureshi (33), and another individual, Mohammad Zafar Ali (37), to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs.5,000.
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The case involved Qureshi marrying Prarthana and subsequently converting her son, which included forcibly circumcising him and changing his name in school records.
The prosecution’s argument began with a complaint filed by Mahesh Kumar Nahata on July 15, 2023. He stated that he had married Prarthana on June 30, 2014, following Hindu customs, and they had a son together on July 20, 2015. On February 25, 2018, Prarthana was taken to Shajapur by her father-in-law for a family event. When Nahata returned from the trip on March 29, he realized that his wife and son were missing. After filing a missing persons report, he learned that Prarthana had left with Qureshi.
Nahata, a follower of Jainism, opposed his wife taking their son with her, but she refused to return. He sought custody of his son in court, but the case stalled due to the lack of information about Prarthana’s whereabouts.
Recently, Nahata discovered that Qureshi was living with Prarthana and his son in Khajrana. He alleged that Qureshi had unlawfully circumcised his son, changed his name to a Muslim identity, falsified documents to enroll him in school, and converted both his wife and son to Islam, compelling them to follow Muslim customs.
The court found that Mohammad Zafar Ali had forged the minor boy’s Aadhaar card and birth certificate. It was determined that this forgery could not have been accomplished without the involvement and intent of Prarthana and Qureshi.
The court stated,
“The said Aadhaar card is a document of the Government of India and the birth certificate is a document of the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Regarding the forgery of such documents, it will be presumed that the accused forged the said Aadhaar card and birth certificate in furtherance of common intention and have thus committed fraud with the Government of India and Madhya Pradesh.”
Consequently, the court established beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused used forged documents in furtherance of common intention, leading to their conviction.
The court concluded that charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, along with the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Ordinance, were proven against the accused.
An Indore court convicted Prarthana Shivhare and her lover, Iliyas Ahmed Qureshi, for illegally converting her minor Jain son. The boy was forcibly circumcised, and his name was altered in official records, including Aadhaar and school documents.
The case, prosecuted under the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Ordinance and IPC, resulted in rigorous imprisonment for the accused.