Allahabad High Court Grants Bail to Tamil Nadu Man Accused in Alleged Religious Conversion Racket
The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a Tamil Nadu resident, Dev Sahayam Deniyal Raj, who was arrested in connection with an alleged unlawful religious conversion case in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Police, Deniyal was described as the leader of a group accused of persuading people to convert their religion.
The police claimed that around seventy individuals had already been converted by the group, and plans were underway to convert nearly five hundred more before Deniyal’s arrest in September last year.
Justice Ashutosh Srivastava allowed the bail plea after considering the nature of the allegations, the possible punishment upon conviction, the evidence placed on record, and the likelihood of witness tampering.
Deniyal and a co-accused, Paras, had been in judicial custody since September 30, 2025, and were booked under provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
The prosecution alleged that the group targeted poor, vulnerable, and tribal communities, drawing them into Christianity through so-called healing prayer meetings and promises of financial assistance.
During questioning, Deniyal reportedly told investigators that he had been appointed as a field in-charge by the Indian Missionaries Society and had been active in the region since July 2025.
He allegedly claimed that eight missionaries worked under him, receiving salaries, allowances,s and funds for preaching.
These missionaries were said to approach villagers — particularly women — under the guise of sewing and embroidery training programmes and monetary help, gradually influencing them to convert.
Defending Denial, his lawyers argued that he was falsely implicated and pointed out that the FIR had been lodged by a person who was neither an aggrieved individual nor a family member of any alleged victim, making the prosecution legally questionable.
They also maintained that no incriminating material had been recovered from Deniyal’s possession.
The state counsel opposed the bail application, reiterating the seriousness of the allegations.
However, in its order dated January 28, the High Court observed that without entering into the merits of the case, sufficient grounds for granting bail were made out and accordingly allowed Deniyal’s release.
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