Charges false’, UP imam jailed in conversion case released
TNN | Aug 13, 2023, 10.03 AM IST
AGRA: An imam of a mosque in UP, who was sent to jail under the state’s anti-conversion law, was released on Friday after allegations against him were “proven baseless” following a police investigation.
Imam Hafiz Iqbal was detained after right-wing members in Aligarh filed a complaint accusing him of “converting Hindus in his mosque”. Iqbal was in jail since August 7. He said, “I’m thankful to the Muslim community who fought to get me out of jail. The situation had been orchestrated as part of a larger conspiracy,” he said.
The situation took a turn later when a video surfaced on social media. The video purportedly showed members of the right-wing group encouraging a woman to physically assault the imam. Some minority community members then approached officials in Aligarh.
DSP (Aligarh), Abhay Panday, said, “No evidence of religious conversion was found. So, the sections were removed”.
