“I never ever dreamt that I would have to go to jail. We had a happy family, and I had a good job. Then, out of nowhere, my life was turned upside down.” These are the words of Abhishek Gupta, a man whose life was shattered after being falsely accused in a religious conversion case.
In 2022, Abhishek Gupta, a Hindu, was accused of running a religious conversion program in Bareilly. Despite his strong Hindu faith, a complaint lodged by a member of a Hindu organization led to his arrest. “I am a Hindu, how can I change my religion?” Abhishek asks, still grappling with the shock of the accusations. “But a Hindu organization falsely accused me, and my life was ruined.”
Abhishek was subjected to police brutality and spent 40 days in jail. The emotional and psychological toll on him and his family was immense. “How my wife and children lived through it, and the shame I felt—only my heart knows,” he says. “The 40 days in jail can never be compensated, and the sting of infamy will remain with me until my death.”
The Case and Court’s Acquittal
The incident that led to Abhishek’s arrest occurred in Bichpuri village, under the Bithri Chainpur police station in Bareilly. On May 29, 2022, Himanshu Patel of Sakatpur village filed a complaint with the police, alleging that Abhishek Gupta and a group of eight people were conducting a religious conversion program.
The complaint claimed that 40 people were found at the scene, and that Abhishek and his wife, along with others, were holding religious books of another faith. Following the complaint, police registered an FIR on May 30, 2022, and Abhishek, along with Kundan Lal, another accused, was arrested under the Religious Prohibition Act.
Abhishek Gupta spent 40 harrowing days in jail before being released on bail. The case dragged on for two years, with eight public witnesses, including the complainant Himanshu Patel, two sub-inspectors, and a head constable who had filed the FIR.
Supreme Court Confirms Bail For Sam Higginbottom University VC In Illegal Religious Conversion Cases
On July 30, 2024, the court delivered its verdict, acquitting Abhishek Gupta and Kundan Lal of all charges under the Prohibition of Religious Conversion Act. The court also ordered the cancellation of their bail papers, fully exonerating them.
Court Orders Action Against False Accusers:
The court directed the Bareilly SSP to take action against Himanshu Patel, who filed the false complaint, as well as against the fake witnesses, the station in-charge who registered the fake case, the investigator who conducted the probe, and the circle officer who filed the charge sheet. The court emphasized that such fake cases should not be allowed to happen in the future to protect innocent members of society.
The court also stated that Abhishek Gupta and Kundan Lal have the right to file a case against those responsible for the false accusations, including Himanshu Patel, the witnesses, and the police officers involved.
