A man has been arrested under the anti-conversion law in Bijnor, (Representational)
A man has been arrested under the anti-conversion law in Bijnor, police said on Wednesday. Police official Sanjay Kumar said that the accused, Saqib, kidnapped a girl and forced her to convert her religion.
"A girl from Dhampur was missing for past few days. However, the police found both girl and the accused. After interrogation, the man was arrested for abducting and forcing a girl to convert her religion," Mr Kumar told ANI.
"Saqib hid his real identity and introduced himself as Sonu to the girl. He kidnapped her and tried to force her to convert the religion. A case filed under ordinance against unlawful religious conversions and the SC/ST Act," he added.
Earlier in November, Uttar Pradesh had enacted the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020.
The new law mandates a jail term of the accused between one to five years, with Rs 15,000 penalty, if convicted for carrying out forceful conversions for marriage.