Rajendra Bihari Lal & Anr. vs. State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors. 2025 INSC 1249

Can criminal law be misused to target innocents in controversies linked to religious conversions? SC QUASHED MULTIPLE FIRs under the UP Conversion Act.Key Takeaways: ✅ Only the aggrieved person or immediate family members can lodge FIRs under the UP Conversion Act; unrelated third parties lack locus standi.✅ Multiple FIRs about the same incident are an abuse of process and liable to be quashed by the Court.✅ Special legislation prevails over general CrPC provisions in regulating who may initiate criminal proceedings for religious conversion.✅ Criminal proceedings can be quashed by the HC and SC, even after chargesheets are filed.✅ Inquiry into the voluntariness of conversion must come from the victim, not outsiders, preserving privacy and personal liberty. #SupremeCourt #CriminalLaw #UPConversionAct