Big Relief to SHUATS VC and Officials, SC Grants Interim Protection in Religious Conversion Case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to the Vice-Chancellor and other officials of Uttar Pradesh’s Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences (SHUATS) in connection with a case involving illegal religious conversion.

The case, in which Vice-Chancellor Rajendra Bihari Lal and others sought relief, involves allegations of rape, illegal religious conversion, and immoral trafficking.

The FIR against them was filed by a woman on November 4, 2023, in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

A vacation bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice K V Vishwanathan stayed the order of the Allahabad High Court and issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government based on a plea filed by the vice-chancellor.

In its December 11 order, the high court stated, “Since the petitioners are accused of heinous offenses, we direct that they should surrender before the majesty of the Court on or before December 20, 2023, and apply for regular bail. The bail application of the accused petitioners shall be heard and decided by the court concerned thoroughly on merits as expeditiously as possible unaffected by any of the observations.”

The woman, a former contractual employee of the university, had accused them of sexual exploitation and religious conversion after being offered a job at the university.

Rajendra Bihari Lal and the other accused, who are also university employees, argued before the high court that the FIR was motivated by malice as she had been terminated from her position.