New Delhi: Nearly a week after the Allahabad High Court ordered the release of two sisters from Agra, police proceedings continue against several persons accused of involvement in their alleged religious conversion. The sisters, Anshu Bhatia alias Amina Bhatia and Diya alias Zoya Bhatia, had appeared before the court in person and stated they had voluntarily embraced Islam.
The case originated from a complaint filed by the sisters’ father, Anil Kumar Bhatia, at Sadar Police Station, Agra, on May 4, 2025. He stated his daughters had been missing since March 24, 2025, and alleged that a woman named Saima alias Khushboo had influenced his elder daughter, Anshu, who had earlier left home in 2021 and was found in Jammu. Bhatia brought the sisters back to Agra, confined them at home, and confiscated their mobile phones. They escaped again in March 2025.
Investigators found the sisters had travelled to Kolkata, where they obtained a religious conversion certificate from the Qazi Welfare Committee, based on an affidavit they submitted. Their counsel, Advocate Ali ibn Saif, stated that the sisters voluntarily accepted Islam and obtained the certificate only as a precautionary measure for possible future documentation needs. He further noted that Islam does not require any formal conversion process, and accepting the faith is entirely a personal decision.
Agra police traced the sisters to Kolkata and took them into custody. Their counsel alleged they were pressured during custody to claim coercion but refused to do so. After being returned to their father, they managed to contact acquaintances and a habeas corpus petition was filed. On August 6, 2026, the High Court ordered their release.
Following the arrest of 18 persons under “Operation Asmita” through raids across West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Goa, and Uttar Pradesh, Agra police filed charge sheets against 14 accused before Additional District Judge Jyotsna Singh. Police also claimed investigators identified links to one Syed Dawood, described as an alleged mastermind believed to be hiding in Canada.
The 14 charge-sheeted accused have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. Trial proceedings are continuing in the Agra district court.
Story by India Tomorrow
