The Misuse of Anti-Conversion Laws: Supreme Court Upholds Procedural Safeguards
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Fundamental Rights - Article 21, Article 25; Judiciary; Key Legislations; FIR).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India; Secularism.
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): Indian Constitution—significant provisions and basic structure; Fundamental Rights; Structure, organization and functioning of the Judiciary; Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
General Studies Paper 4 (Ethics): Ethics and Human Interface (Liberty, Freedom of Conscience).
Key Highlights from the News
Supreme Court quashes FIRs related to "forced" religious conversions in UP.
The cases quashed were under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
Key Reason for the Verdict: The FIRs were quashed because the complaint was filed by a third party (a VHP leader in this case) who was not competent in law to file a complaint.
Legal experts say this verdict will help prevent the misuse of the law as a tool of persecution to harass minority communities.
The court observed that procedural fairness and liberty should not be sacrificed. Criminal law will not be allowed to become a tool of harassment against the innocent.
A former UP DGP said that the fundamental right to practice a faith and follow a religion of one's choice cannot be blocked.
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