Prominent Islamic scholar Maulana Umar Gautam who has been jailed under draconian anti-conversion law gets bail by Allahabad High Court on Friday, his lawyer told Maktoob.
He was arrested by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Uttar Pradesh on 20 June 2021.
On June 20, 2021, authorities arrested Gautam – a Muslim convert, Islamic scholar, and founder of the Islamic Da’wah Centre – and his colleague after he and his organization were accused of forcibly converting thousands to Islam, including students with hearing disabilities, arranging marriages for converts, and receiving funding from abroad. He was charged with conspiracy, cheating and outraging religious feelings as well as under sections of Uttar Pradesh’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
On June 25, 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a case under the 2002 Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Gautam to investigate allegations of foreign funding and money laundering.
In September 2021, a Lucknow court accepted an application from the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police to charge Gautam and other involved in the case with “conspiracy to commit offences” waging war against the state (Sec. 121A IPC) and “concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war” (Sec. 123 IPC).
On February 11, 2022, Gautam was granted bail in one of the cases against him.
Gautam’s family has also been targeted, including his son Abdullah Gautam who was arrested in November 2021 for his alleged involvement in conversions.
More to follow…
