A recent verdict by a district court in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has brought to the fore grim challenges that members of non-proselytising faiths face from the zealots who go to great lengths to convert people, including young impressionable children, in their “service” for the community.
The district court sentenced a woman, her lover, and an accomplice to ten years in prison for forcibly circumcising her minor son and enrolling him in a madrasa in an attempt to convert him to Islam.
Those convicted include 27-year-old Prarthana Nahata, her Muslim partner Iliyas Ahmed Qureshi (33), and Mohammad Zafar Ali. The trio was found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including charges of forgery and fraud, as well as violations of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.
The case is an illustration of a father’s unwavering love for his son and his resolute determination to bring perpetrators who took his son away and tried to convert him to Islam to the books.
In 2015, Mahesh Nahata, who hailed from Rajasthan’s Barmer, had a son with his wife Prathana who was named Manan. But soon after Manan turned three, Prarthana eloped with her paramour, Iliyas Ahmed Qureshi, taking her son along with her.
-Mahesh Nahata, a native of Barmer, Rajasthan, married Prarthana from Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh, in 2014
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) February 22, 2025
-In 2015, they had a son, whom they lovingly named Manan (picture attached)
-But Prarthana eloped with her former lover from her school days, Iliyas Qureshi, taking… pic.twitter.com/330lCEjF23
Manan, who was born into a Jain family, was forcibly circumcised—a ritual commonly practised in Islam. Furthermore, he was enrolled in a madrasa under the name Mohammad Manaan, with Iliyas falsely listed as his biological father. Disturbingly, Iliyas, an active member of the banned Islamist group Popular Front of India (PFI), also instructed Manan in slaughtering chickens and cutting meat—practices that directly contradict the core principles of Jainism.
Despite the challenges he faced, Mahesh remained determined to regain custody of his son. For five years, he fought legal battles to achieve this goal, but his efforts were unsuccessful. In 2023, he filed a new case against Illiyas and his accomplices under MP’s anti-conversion law.
Soon thereafter, an investigation began and the couple, Iliyas and Prarthana, and accomplice Zafar Ali, were jailed.
The Jain community also came forward to help Mahesh get custody of his son. 8 years after he was first taken away by Iliyas and Prarthana, Manan united with his father and a formal ‘Ghar Wapsi’ function was organised to revert him back to Jainism.
In an interview with Organiser following the verdict, Mahesh revealed that Iliyas was a repeat offender, having previously received a ten-year sentence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Mahesh also asserted the case extends beyond personal misconduct and is part of a broader network involving influential figures and political connections.
