Allahabad HC rules that UP anti-conversion law applies to live-in couples as well

The Allahabad High Court recently ruled that live-in partners are also bound by the provisions of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, just like legally married interfaith couples. In a case where a Muslim woman and a Hindu man sought protection for their relationship, the court dismissed the plea citing failure to abide by the anti-conversion law.

The petitioners, a 24-year-old Muslim woman and a 23-year-old Hindu man, who had married through Arya Samaj rituals, approached the court seeking protection of their ‘lives and liberty’. Despite no complaints from their families, the court stated that the couple must undergo the established registration procedure for their marriage to be legally recognized.

Justice Renu Agarwal emphasized that the petitioners must follow the law, as the state argued that the couple had not applied for religious conversion. The High Court highlighted that even in cases of live-in relationships, the anti-conversion law mandates applying for religious conversion, emphasizing the importance of adhering to statutory laws passed by the legislature.