Shamli police have filed an FIR against six social media accounts for spreading misinformation in connection with the Ayush Malik religious conversion case in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. According to police, the accused spread fake news on social media platforms X and Facebook, claiming that the Allahabad High Court reprimanded the Shamli Police during the hearing of a petition filed in connection with the case.
Five of the social media accounts exist on X, which are identified as @Karishma Aziz, Nikhat Ali (@INikhatAli), The Muslim (@TheMuslimSphere), Wasim Akram Tyagi (@WasimAkramTyagi), and Syed Kaif Hasan (@kaifsyedhasan). One of these accounts, named Nadeem Saii, exists on Facebook. The case against them has been registered at the Kotwali Shamli police station.
According to police, a habeas corpus petition was filed by Ayush Malik’s friend, Sultan Qari, a resident of Jagheta Nabij, Sarsawa, Saharanpur, on September 9, 2026, before the Allahabad High Court. The petition sought Ayush Malik to be produced before the court, recording of his statement, and allowing him to live freely. The High Court directed the Shamli police to produce Ayush Malik and his father Devraj Malik before it on September 16, 2026.
On the direction of the High Court, the Shamli Police produced Ayush Malik and his father on September 16, 2026. The High Court heard the statements of Ayush and his father. However, the social media accounts made misleading claims regarding the proceedings before the court. They claimed that the High Court scolded the Shamli police during the hearing of the petition. The Shamli Police dismissed the claims as false and misleading and lodged an FIR against the social media accounts.
What is the Ayush Malik conversion case?
Ayush Malik is the only son of a prominent pharmaceutical businessman, Devraj Malik, in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. He converted to Islam against the wishes of his family and changed his name to Mohammad Ali. He also married a Muslim woman named Chandni Qureshi, who worked as a gym trainer.
His family accused Chandani Qureshi and her family of influencing and brainwashing Ayush into converting to Islam. The family alleged that Chandani and her family laid a trap to grab Ayush’s property. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged by his family against 11 people, including Chandani and her father, Islam Qureshi, in June, 2026.
Based on the FIR, the police arrested Chandni Qureshi and Islam Qureshi and sent them to jail. Later, they were granted bail by the District and Sessions Court in Kairana on July 24, 2026. The case sparked widespread outrage among the Hindu community and reignited the debate around forced religious conversions. Following the outrage, Ayush returned to his family and went back to the Hindu fold.
However, Ayush Malik stated before the Allahabad High Court that he embraced Islam voluntarily and that his decision was not influenced by any threat, coercion, undue influence, or pressure.
