New Delhi, October 17 (Daily Kiran): The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the FIR filed against R.B. Lal, Vice Chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS) — formerly Allahabad Agricultural University — and six others in connection with the alleged mass conversion of 90 Hindus. The order was passed by a bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala.
Earlier, on March 1, 2024, the apex court had granted regular bail to all seven accused. Before that, on December 19, 2023, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and stayed their arrests.
The interim protection from arrest was extended to R.B. Lal, Rekha Patel, Professor Ramakant Dubey, Vinod Bihar Lal, Professor Ranu Prasad, David Philip, and Sunil Kumar John — all of whom were named in the FIR.
The case originally reached the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court refused to stay the FIR proceedings. The High Court had directed the accused to surrender before December 20, 2023, observing that the issue “concerned the interests of a large section of society.”
The High Court had also noted that the investigating agency had presented evidence supporting the allegations of religious conversion, and described the charges as “serious in nature” that could not be taken lightly.
With Thursday’s ruling, the Supreme Court has now fully quashed the FIR against all seven accused, bringing a legal end to the high-profile case that had drawn national attention.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
