Five Muslim Girls Booked Under UP Anti-Conversion Law for Making Hindu Classmate Wear Burqa

Moradabad:  A case has been registered against five minor Muslim girls under the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Conversion Act for allegedly coercing a classmate to wear a burqa and pressuring her to convert to Islam, police said on Saturday.

The incident, which took place on December 12, 2025, came to light only recently after the 16-year-old Hindu girl’s brother, Daksh Chaudhary, filed a complaint at the Bilari Police Station in Moradabad. In his complaint, he accused the five girls, aged between 15 and 17, of pressuring his sister, who studied with them and attended the same tuition classes, to wear a burqa and adopt another religion.

An FIR has been registered under Section 3 and Section 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, which criminalises conversion by “misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion and allurement”, officials said.

Police sources said a video of the incident circulated widely on social media. In the clip, the group of girls can be seen in a narrow alley, with the Hindu girl wearing a burqa while the others appear to be arranging it over her clothes. The girls were reportedly on their way to a restaurant when the episode occurred. Fearing that her brother might see her, the victim put on the burqa, police said.

Superintendent of Police (Rural), Kunwar Akash Singh, said the case was registered promptly after the complaint was received and that a thorough investigation is underway to ascertain the background and motive of the accused.

Under the Anti-Conversion Act, if convicted, those involved, especially in cases involving minors, could face rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than five years and up to 14 years.

As the girls are all minors, police have clarified that they have not been taken into custody immediately, and inquiries are continuing to determine whether any further offences, including coercion for conversion, were involved.

Officials also said that due to the sensitive nature of the case, care is being taken during the probe, and more details are expected as the investigation progresses.

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