Dr. Shikha Mishra
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Dehradun: Nearly seven years after the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act (UFRA) was enacted to curb alleged forced religious conversions, the law has yet to deliver a single conviction. Despite repeated amendments that toughened provisions, extended jail terms, and led to multiple arrests, courts have consistently acquitted the accused.
An Indian Express investigation, based on RTI documents and court records up to September 2025, reveals that 62 cases were registered across 13 districts. Only five reached full trial—and in each, the accused were acquitted. Judges cited weak police investigations, contradictory witness statements, and complainants retracting allegations.
Trials That Collapsed
- Tehri Garhwal (2021): A complaint against Vinod Kumar for praising Christianity on Facebook collapsed when investigators admitted no evidence of inducement or money was found. Videos were not verified. He was acquitted in January 2024.
- Ramnagar, Nainital (2021): Pastor Narendra Singh Bisht and his wife faced charges of mass conversion. In September 2025, the court ruled prosecution failed to prove when or how conversion was induced. Both were acquitted.
- Ranikhet, Almora (2023): Mohammed Chand was accused of abduction, rape, and forced conversion after his wife went missing. In court, she testified she left voluntarily, denied sexual assault, and refused medical examination. He was acquitted in March 2025.
- Almora (2023): A brother alleged his sister was abducted and converted. In court, both denied the claims. The accused was acquitted.
- Ramnagar (2022): A minor’s alleged forced conversion fell apart when she could not recall dates or details. Witnesses failed to corroborate. The accused was acquitted; the state’s appeal was dismissed.
Cases Dismissed, Bail Granted
At least seven cases were dismissed mid‑trial after complainants withdrew or contradicted earlier statements. Of 39 cases with clear status, most accused are out on bail—29 granted, including 11 by the High Court and one by the Supreme Court. Courts repeatedly flagged consensual relationships, contradictory complaints, and serious procedural lapses in police investigations.
Rape and Kidnapping Charges
In 24 cases, UFRA charges were combined with rape or kidnapping. Sixteen are clear: in 10, courts ruled relationships were consensual; in others, victims retracted statements or investigations faltered. Seven cases alleged “love jihad”—Muslim men hiding identity to lure women—but four collapsed after women denied police claims or courts found contradictions.
Threat Perceptions and Marriages
UFRA requires inter‑faith couples to notify the district magistrate a month before marriage. At least four couples sought police or court protection citing threats from families, but later faced prosecution themselves. In one 2020 Dehradun case, the High Court quashed the FIR in 2023. In five other cases, couples were charged for failing to notify authorities, though four secured relief from arrest.
Law Toughened, Results Weak
Introduced in 2018 under the BJP government, UFRA was amended in 2022 to increase jail terms. In 2025, another amendment proposed raising punishment from three years to ten, and up to twenty years or life imprisonment in severe cases. The bill, however, was returned by the Governor for corrections and remains un-notified.
Case registrations surged after the 2022 amendment—20 in 2023 alone, and 18 by September 2025. Yet conviction rates remain at zero, exposing a stark gap between legislative intent and judicial outcomes.
