Madhya Pradesh's anti-conversion law sees 58% acquittals, seven convictions in five years
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh’s stringent anti-religious conversion law, often referred to as the ‘anti-Love Jihad’ law, has recorded a significantly higher rate of acquittals than convictions in its first five and a half years of enforcement.
In a written reply to BJP MLA Ashish Govind Sharma, cited by The New Indian Express on Wednesday, the state government revealed that from January 1, 2020, to July 15, 2025, a total of 283 cases were registered under the MP Freedom of Religion Ordinance 2020 and its successor, the MP Freedom of Religion Act 2021.
Of these, 197 cases (about 70%) are still under trial in various courts, while 86 cases (30%) have either reached a verdict or are still under police investigation.
Among the 86 cases, 50 ended in acquittal, accounting for 58%, while only seven resulted in conviction.
Police sources, quoted by TNIE, attributed the low conviction rate to lack of evidence and witnesses turning hostile. In many cases, female complainants later testified that their relationships were consensual and voluntary, with no coercion or inducement involved.
“In many cases, during trial in the cases, the female victims stated before the court that they were in consensual relationship with the man of the other religion, they married men from other religion on their volition and were staying with them on their own, bereft of any fear, threat, pressure or enticement,” TNIE quoted its source as saying.
In some cases involving minors, families reportedly admitted that FIRs were filed under societal pressure, only to retract their statements later, dismantling the prosecution's case.
The MP Freedom of Religion Ordinance 2020 and its successor MP Freedom of Religion Act 2021 were promulgated to regulate religious conversions in the state. It aims to prohibit conversion through coercion, force, misrepresentation, undue influence, allurement, fraud, or marriage.
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
