The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi):The Supreme Court today reaffirmed the interim anticipatory bail granted to Dr. Rajendra Bihari Lal, the Vice Chancellor, Director Vinod Bihari Lal, and others from Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), in relation to allegations of mass religious conversions. Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, overseeing a series of pleas connected with accusations of illegal conversions at SHUATS, sustained the previously granted protection. This ruling came after UP’s Additional Advocate General, Garima Prashad, indicated that charges had been filed in the case without any arrests.
The court also specified that this interim relief confirmation should not affect the case’s merit during its trial. Besides the Vice Chancellor and Director, the protection extends to Parminder Singh, Mathew Samuel, and Rev. Paul Sigamony Rajamony.
The controversy traces back to April 2022, when a complaint alleged about 90 individuals were being converted to Christianity under dubious circumstances. Following an investigation, authorities charged 35 individuals and pursued legal action under various sections of the IPC and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
The Allahabad High Court had previously denied anticipatory bail to the SHUATS officials, deeming them influential figures with questionable intentions. However, the Supreme Court intervened, issuing a stay on their arrest and later extending this interim protection.
With 14 petitions related to five FIRs pending before the Supreme Court, the anticipatory bail pleas were settled, while other related petitions were deferred for a later date. During courtroom discussions, senior advocates representing the petitioners highlighted challenges, including multiple FIRs filed for the same incident and sought consolidation for effective legal proceedings.
The Supreme Court’s order confirmed the continuance of interim protection, given the completion of investigations and filing of chargesheets in one of the FIRs. It emphasized that this bail grant should not prelude the trial’s outcome, ensuring the trial would proceed based on evidence, upholding the judicial process’s integrity.
This resolution offers a temporary reprieve for the accused SHUATS officials, ensuring their freedom during the trial phase while affirming the legal principle that bail decisions do not predetermine the trial’s findings.