Relief to the president of Broadwell Christian Hospital Society from SC, ban on action in conversion case

The Supreme Court has given protection from any coercive action to the president of Broadwell Christian Hospital Society in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district in a case of alleged forced conversion.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on an appeal filed by Mathew Samuel and others. The notice challenged an order of the Allahabad High Court which had refused to quash the proceedings in the FIR filed against him by the state police.

The bench said, "Issue notice on the special leave petition as well as the interlocutory application for directions. Meanwhile, FIR numbers 224/2022, 54/2023, and 55/2023 are registered at Police Station Kotwali, District Fatehpur, UP. And no punitive action will be taken against the petitioners in respect of No. 60/2023."

Senior advocate CU Singh, appearing for the petitioners, alleged abuse of the criminal justice process and sought a stay on the investigation in connection with the FIR. The high court had earlier refused to quash the proceedings against Samuel and others in the FIR filed against them by the state police.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had registered an FIR against Samuel and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 as well as the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion Prohibition Act, 2021, after receiving complaints of mass conversions.