The Supreme Court on Friday, 17 October, quashed several FIRs filed against Prayagraj’s SHUATS University Vice Chancellor Rajendra Bihari Lal and other officials. In its order, the SC cited procedural lapses, like unauthorised complaints and non-credible investigations, in allegations of mass forced conversions to Christianity under Uttar Pradesh’s 2021 anti-conversion law.
FORCED RELIGIOUS CONVERSION CASE
— LawBeat (@LawBeatInd) October 17, 2025
Supreme Court of India has quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against SHUATS University Vice Chancellor and other officials in an alleged mass conversion case. pic.twitter.com/v6P3ZRY50n
As per reports, the proceedings against the VC and others under serious IPC charges of abettment to suicide and culpable homicide will proceed for now. The accused are under interim protection from arrest granted by the apex court.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra passed the order in the case. The apex court observed that the person who filed the complaint against Dr Rajendra Bihari Lal of the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), was not competent to file such a complaint.
Under Section 4 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, no stranger or third party is entitled to file a case. Though the section was amended in 2024, the apex court held that the amendment won’t be applicable in this case.
“FIRs 50 and 60 of 2022 are covered by TT Antony case and is quashed. Writ seeking quashing of FIR is maintainable. Thus the writs are maintainable and entertainable…. In so far as alleged offences under 304, 306 and 504 (IPC) has to be proved further. Interim protection to the petitioner is to be continued,” the Court said.
I 2023, the SC stayed the arrest of SHUATS VC Dr Lal. Lal had moved to the SC after the Allahabad HC dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail. In December 2023, Lal and three other officials of SHUATs were granted interim protection from arrest by the SC.
Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave appeared for Lal. SHUATS was earlier known as the Allahabad Agricultural University, a prominent university in UP.
On January 27, Uttar Pradesh Police had filed FIRs against eight officials of the Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences (SHUATS) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly luring Hindus and forcing them to convert their religion to Christianity. The vice-chancellor, two pro-vice-chancellors, and 5 others were booked for mass conversions.
