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2 Noida Police officers suspended, inquiry against third for not invoking UP anti-conversion law in woman’s complaint
The police officers had allegedly failed to invoke Section 5(3) of The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and Section 3(2)(v) of The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
On Thursday, police said that the woman’s partner had been arrested. “Both parties were already acquainted. This is a case of a love affair. The accused has been taken into custody by the police. Further legal proceedings are underway,” a senior police officer said.
Two police officers in Noida have been suspended and a preliminary inquiry has been initiated against a third senior officer for not invoking the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion Act and the SC/ST Act in a case registered Tuesday.
“Due to the non-inclusion of these relevant sections, an explanation has been sought from DCP Central Noida, Shakti Mohan Awasthi, and a preliminary inquiry has been initiated against ACP-1 Central Noida, Umesh Yadav. The Station In-charge of Phase-3, Puneet Kumar, and the Investigating Officer (Sub-Inspector) Preeti Gupta have been suspended with immediate effect,” a senior police officer said.
The police officers had allegedly failed to invoke Section 5(3) of The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and Section 3(2)(v) of The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
These sections deal with conversion or attempt to convert a person from one religion to another by threatening, hurting, using force, or marriage or promise to marry; and committing an offence punishable under the Indian Penal Code for a term of 10 years or more respectively.
The case on Tuesday was registered based on a complaint under Sections 69, 351 and 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS).
The complainant is a woman who alleged that her partner of two years had promised to marry her but had instead absconded with her money and jewellery, police said. The woman has alleged that she had approached the police several times but had been turned away.
The woman then approached members of the Bajrang Dal for help and they staged a protest at the Noida Phase-3 police station Tuesday.
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During the protest, the woman told reporters who were present there that she had met the man on a social media platform. “We were in a relationship for the last two years. He made intimate videos of us together, and threatened to leak them. He would ask me for money. He told me his name was Vikas, and hid his actual name, which is Muhammad Rameez,” the woman alleged.
On Thursday, police said that the woman’s partner had been arrested. “Both parties were already acquainted. This is a case of a love affair. The accused has been taken into custody by the police. Further legal proceedings are underway,” a senior police officer said.
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