NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to Prof Rajendra Bihari Lal, Vice Chancellor of Uttar Pradesh's Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences and six others in a case related to rape and religious conversion.
A special bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and K V Vishwanathan protected the petitioners from arrest in the FIR lodged on November 4, 2023 in district Hamirpur.
A special bench was set up during the winter vacation bench to take up the matter challenging the Allahabad High Court's order of December 11 directing Lal and others to surrender on December 20, 2023 in the case.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave for the petitioner submitted that the High Court passed the order on December 11, 2023 which was uploaded on December 14, 2023 directing him to surrender in the case lodged by a woman employee alleging forced conversion in year 2005 and rape afterwards.
The woman worked in the University till year 2022 before her dismissal. The anti conversion law is also year 2021, he said.
The alleged rape took place in 2005, 2011 and 2014, the counsel pointed out.
The counsel said the University has been established in year 1910.
"There is a grave danger as the direction requires the petitioner to surrender on December 20 and then apply for regular bail. My right of anticipatory bail has gone," he said.
After the brief hearing, the bench issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant and stayed the High Court's order till January 12, 2024 or until further orders whichever is earlier.
The court fixed the matter for further hearing on January 3, 2024 before the appropriate bench subject to the order by the Chief Justice of India.
"Until that day, there shall be interim order protecting the petitioner from arrest in the FIR lodged on November 4, 2023 in district Hamirpur," the bench ordered.
According to the FIR, alleged that the victim, a lower-middle-class woman, was lured into Christianity through gifts and clothing by the accused, including the SHUATS VC.
The accused allegedly pressurised her to bring other women for conversion and illegal activities. The victim claimed she was also subjected to regular sexual exploitation.
The Allahabad High Court has refused to quash the FIR, saying the allegations are serious and horrifying.
The HC's division bench had said, "No God or true Church or Temple or Mosque would approve such type of malpractices. If someone on his own, have chosen to get him converted to different religion is totally another aspect of the issue. In the instant case prevailing upon a tender mind of a young girl providing gifts, clothings and other physical amenities and then asked her to get her baptised is an unpardonable sin".
