A local court in Bharuch, on Monday, rejected bail application of the three accused in the Bharuch mass religious conversion case. Three of the accused, Ibrahim Puna Patel alias Jitubhai Punabhai Vasava, Aiyub Barkat Patel alias Ramanbhai Barkatbhai Vasava and Yusuf Jivan Patel alias Mahendrabhai Jivan Patel, had moved court and applied for bail after a charge sheet was filed in the case.
The accused’s lawyer, while arguing that the sections of SC/ST Atrocities Act levelled against the accused were not applicable against them since the accused and the complainant, both belong to the Scheduled Tribe. Advocate Vora had claimed that since the accused had professed Islam faith, since they belonged to Scheduled Tribe before conversion to another faith, their status of being Scheduled Tribe is not diluted. Hence, the SC/ST Atrocities Act does not apply to them.
Public Prosecutor P B Pandey, however, argued that the FIR registered in the case is an example of communal discord which has been propagated by applicants with an ulterior motive of creating tension amongst the two sects of society. He also said that filing of charge sheet is no new ground for applying again for the bail.
Bharuch mass conversion case
OpIndia had reported that in November 2021 an FIR was registered against Fefdawala Haji Abdullah, Salahuddin Sheikh and others on complaint of one Pravin Vasava of Kankariya village in Amod Taluka of Bharuch district in Gujarat where allegations of religious conversion of people from Vasava community (Scheduled Tribe) to Islam was carried out by luring them with financial gains like job, house, prospective bride for marriage. The FIR stated how the funds from foreign countries were routed to India for helping with the activities of said religious conversion.
The tentacles of the racket were also linked to the Uttar Pradesh mass religious conversion racket that was busted in June-July 2021 where along with Umar Gautam, Salahuddin Sheikh was also one of the main accused. It was alleged that through Sheikh’s NGO AFMI, funds were routed by Fefdawala and others and the same were used for anti-social activities. In December, 2021, the Home Ministry cancelled the FCRA registration of the NGO. Sheikh is currently in Uttar Pradesh Police’s custody while Fefdawala is absconding.
On 15th November 2021, a case was registered at Amod Police Station Part A under Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act under section 4, 5, 4-G along with Indian Penal Code section 120 (B), 153 (B) (C), 506(2), 153A (1), 295 (K), 466, 467, 468, 471, Atrocities Act section 3 (2) (5-a), 3 (2)(5) and Information Technology Act, 2000 section 84-C against nine accused. The nine accused were: Shabbir Bakerywala (Amod), Samaj Bakerywala (Amod), Abdul Aziz Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Yusuf Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Ayub Barkat Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Hasan Tisli (Achhod, Amod), Fefdawala Haji Abdullah (Nabipur, currently, London, UK), Ismail Achhodwala alias Delawala (maulvi) (Achhod, Amod) and Ibrahim Patel (Kankaria, Amod).
You can read our ground report on this here.
