UP police stop interfaith wedding despite both parents' consent

Local police officers in Lucknow on Wednesday put a halt to the marriage of an interfaith couple, citing that it was in violation of the recently passed 'love jihad' ordinance in Uttar Pradesh, despite consent from both families. Officers intervened on the day of the wedding after receiving a complaint from Hindu youth outfits, The Indian Express reported.

As final preparations were underway -- the bride, a 22-year old chemistry postgraduate, and the bridegroom, a 24-year old pharmacist -- were asked by the police Para station officials to seek permission from the district magistrate before they tying the knot.

The wedding, which was being held in Lucknow's Duda Colony, was according to police officers, set to follow Hindu rituals." Both families, it is believed, have agreed to postpone the wedding till the necessary approval(s) is granted.

SHO Triloki Singh told The Indian Express that his men acted upon the objections raised by members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, and noted that there was no coercion from either family. The objective, he noted, stemmed from the was that the girl's family was Hindu, while the boy's family was Muslim. He added that he made clear to them that they were under "no pressure to convert," and that the bridegroom intended to convert to Hinduism.

"The families were told that the new ordinance has provisions to check religious conversions carried out through allurement, coercion, force, fraud, or marriage. Both the families have now decided to follow the proper process for interfaith marriages," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), south, Suresh Chandra Rawat said on Friday.

No FIR was lodged in the matter, the police said.

"Under the provisions of the ordinance, an inquiry will be conducted about the intention or purpose of the conversion, and violation of this provision will have the effect of such conversion being rendered null and void," said senior lawyer Hemant Kumar Upadhyay.

"The converted person will have to make another declaration in the prescribed format within six months of conversion. A violation of this will invite punishment from six months up to three years with a fine of Rs 10,000," he said.

The law provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 under different categories.

With inputs from PTI.