The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested the owner of Afifa restaurant, located in the Nabiganj area of Barabanki, in connection with the alleged forced religious conversion of a minor Dalit boy. The restaurant owner is accused of coercing the boy into undergoing circumcision and converting to Islam. The police have arrested all the individuals involved, including the restaurant owner, in relation to the case.
The incident came to light in December of last year when a Bajrang Dal leader, Vinay Singh Rajput, filed a case after the minor boy shared his ordeal with him. Upon learning about the forced conversion, Vinay Singh Rajput, along with Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) District President Brijesh Vaishya, visited the Afifa restaurant in Barabanki, where the boy had been employed.
The boy explained that he was initially brought to the area by scrap dealers Murshid and Riyasat Ali (Murshid’s father) with the promise of a job. After staying with them for a while, he was employed at the Afifa restaurant. The boy accused the restaurant owner of coercing him into undergoing circumcision and converting to Islam. The owner of the restaurant also allegedly changed the boy’s name to Noor Mohammad.
A case was filed against Murshid, Riyasat Ali, and the restaurant owner at the Barabanki police station based on a complaint by Rajput. The charges were filed under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Murshid and Riyasat Ali were promptly arrested by the police, while the restaurant owner remained at large. On December 20, 2024, the court rejected the bail applications of the two arrested accused.
According to the police, the boy hails from the Atraulia police station area in Azamgarh. His father had remarried a Muslim woman following the death of his first Hindu wife, who was also the boy’s mother. The boy has an older sister who is married and resides in Ahmedabad. The boy claimed that his father was killed by his stepmother over a property dispute. After his father’s death, the stepmother reportedly threw him out of the house. While searching for a job, the boy came into contact with Murshid and Riyasat Ali.
Earlier, Organiser broke another troubling story involving a Divyang (person with disabilities) woman who was coerced into converting to Islam. She was reportedly told, “Wearing a hijab will bring noor (divine light) to your face.” This case intensified protests and demands for transparency and accountability, ultimately forcing a shift in administrative priorities. Amid mounting public pressure and a wave of demonstrations, the investigating committee finally released its findings on November 14, 2024. The 64-page document contains testimonies from 27 individuals, including teaching staff, non-teaching staff, current students, and alumni. Of these, seven were teaching faculty members, six were non-teaching staff, while the rest comprised Ph.D. scholars and former students.
The report paints a troubling picture, with witnesses alleging a systematic and coercive conversion agenda at Jamia Millia Islamia. Many deponents revealed that they were either lured or pressured into converting to Islam as a precondition for career advancement, academic opportunities, or simply to maintain peace within the university. According to the testimonies, the tactics used to force conversions varied widely. Promises of promotions, easier workloads, and even theological arguments about heaven and hell were reportedly employed to manipulate individuals into accepting Islam. Some witnesses described an environment of blatant discrimination against non-Muslims, whether they were students or faculty members. The detailed depositions highlight institutional bias within JMI, where non-Muslims face unequal treatment and systemic prejudice.
