Published : 12 Aug 2026, 05:41 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:32 AM
A High Court in India has ordered the release of two adult sisters who were allegedly confined by their father for converting to Islam after leaving Hinduism, ruling that an adult's religious choice cannot be restricted.
The Allahabad High Court also directed the sisters' parents and the Uttar Pradesh government to jointly pay Rs 2.5 million, about $26,000, in compensation for their alleged illegal detention, according to The Hindu.
A single bench of Justice Sandeep Jain said the women had been confined for around five years after converting to Islam in 2020 and 2021.
It also directed police and authorities not to interfere in their personal lives or decisions.
The ruling came in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by the sisters, aged 35 and 20.
The court cited constitutional protections for personal liberty, freedom of conscience, and the right to choose one's religion.
At an earlier hearing on Jul 31, the court had ordered police to produce the women before it.
It observed, “If an adult woman voluntarily converts to Islam and marries a man of her choice, it is her fundamental right as per the Constitution.
“If there is no inducement, force or deception, no one, including their father, has the right to interfere in that decision.”
The sisters' father allegedly confined them at home after learning of their conversions, taking away their documents and passports.
Last year, after they escaped to Kolkata, he filed cases alleging kidnapping and forced conversion, following which Agra police brought them back into his custody.
Their lawyer Syed Kaif Hasan said, “The court's verdict has once again proven that the freedom of an adult woman cannot depend on the permission of her family's religious choice.
“This intervention of the court is very significant. Because even after being able to make their own decisions, their freedom was taken away.
“There are several historic judgments of the Supreme Court, where the right of an adult citizen to choose his own opinion, belief and faith has been recognised as a fundamental freedom. The Allahabad High Court's order has strengthened that long legal tradition,” he added.
