New Delhi: In a landmark ruling reinforcing the principle that criminal law must not be wielded to harass innocent citizens, the Supreme Court on Friday quashed multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, over alleged “mass religious conversions” of Hindus to Christianity. The decision marks a significant moment in the interpretation and application of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.

A two-judge Bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra set aside five FIRs lodged against several individuals, including Rajendra Bihari Lal, Vice-Chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS). Justice Pardiwala, authoring the 158-page judgment, noted that the FIRs suffered

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