Hindu family in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, receives threat: ‘Either change religion or leave’

A Hindu family allegedly received threats to change their religion while living in a Muslim-dominated area in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh. The case has resulted in the arrest of three women.

The victim, Deepa Nishad, claimed in her complaint that her family had been under pressure to convert to Islam because the area was predominately populated by Muslims. If she didn’t sell her home, she was told to get out of there. For the same, she allegedly also received death threats.

The complainant Deepa allegedly claimed in the FIR that ‘neighbouring Muslim women spit on the temple built in her house and said that now your temple has become impure. You have converted to Islam now.’

Three women and seven other people are included in the case that the police have filed to begin the investigation. Additionally, the woman has made public videos of other women threatening and abusing her family.

Tulsi Ram Nishad, Deepa’s brother, claimed that the Muslim neighbours were pressuring him to drop the case. He claimed that two days ago, as he was returning home, he was attacked.

The accused, however, refuted all of the accusations made against them and asserted that ‘religious conversion was never a thing.’

When questioned about the abuse shown in the video that the victim released, the accused responded, ‘I said those things in anger.’ Spitting in the temple was not addressed by the family.

On Monday, police filed a complaint against seven individuals under two serious sections of the Uttar Pradesh Religion Change Prohibition Act-2021, including criminal intimidation and disturbing the peace.

In Uttar Pradesh, there is a provision for harsh punishment in the Prohibition of Religious Conversion Act-2021 in the event of illegal religious conversion. Women and members of scheduled castes and tribes who convert illegally risk serving two to ten years in prison.

On the other hand, if a religious conversion is carried out in a group, the offender faces a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs. 50,000. Similar to this, any organisation that does this risks having its recognition revoked.