The Bombay High Court has held that insisting on someone’s conversion does not amount to insulting the religious beliefs of any class, and quashed a case against four persons accused of coercing a couple to convert to Christianity.
The court quashed the FIR and chargesheet against the four persons – Joseph Khudawant, a senior citizen, his son Victor Khudawant, daughter-in-law Elvina Khudawant and social worker Anant Mankar – all residents of Amravati. The court also took note of the fact that the alleged offence took place in 2025 when there was no law prohibiting conversion by way of allurement from one religion to another in the state.
The prosecution claimed that the accused persons said they would pay the complainant and his wife each month, take care of the educational expenses of their children and also construct a house for them if they agreed to convert from Hinduism to Christianity.
