A religious conversion case in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, has taken a sharply contested turn, with police arresting a woman and her father on 8 June even as the man at the centre of the dispute — Ayush Malik, 30 — firmly denied that his embrace of Islam was forced or manipulated in any way.

The Arrests and the FIR

Police have detained Chandni Qureshi and her father, Islam Qureshi, and registered a case against nine individuals — including a maulvi — under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The complaint was filed by Devraj Malik, a noted businessman and Ayush's father, who alleged his son was converted to Islam under the pretext of marriage.

According to officials, Devraj Malik claimed that Chandni Qureshi had worked as Ayush's physiotherapist and gym trainer before the two developed a personal relationship. He further alleged that his son was subsequently taken to Delhi, where a nikah was conducted using forged documents, and that the conversion had been orchestrated through a carefully planned process over several years.

Shamli Superintendent of Police NP Singh confirmed that the case has been registered and that investigators are examining whether the conversion and marriage were carried out through deception, forged documentation, or unlawful inducement.

Ayush Malik's Account: 'No One Forced Me'

Ayush Malik has categorically rejected his father's version of events. Speaking to reporters, he said he willingly accepted Islam and intends to continue practising the faith despite what he described as mounting pressure to revert.

'I willingly converted to Islam; no one forced me. FIRs are being filed against my family and I am pressurized to convert back to Hinduism. My family members are in jail right now; they have been arrested,' Ayush said.

He recounted that the relationship with Chandni began during physiotherapy for a shoulder injury at a clinic where she worked. 'We exchanged phone numbers there, and our relationship started from there,' he said.

A Conversion 12 Years in the Making

Ayush stated that his association with Islam predated his marriage by nearly a decade. 'During 2013–14, I started following Islam. Four years ago, I married Chandni in Shamli in accordance with Islamic rituals,' he said.

He explained that he concealed both his conversion and his marriage from his family for years because his three sisters were unmarried at the time. He disclosed the facts only after all three sisters had been wed. Ayush has since adopted the name Mohammad Ali, though his official documents still carry his previous identity — a change he said has been difficult to formalise.

'No one extends help in this process. In official documents, my name is still Ayush Malik. However, I don't mind it now. There is nothing in name,' he said.

Financial Motive Allegations Denied

Investigators, according to police officials, are also probing whether the conversion was linked to financial exploitation or intimidation. Ayush dismissed this charge outright. 'There was nothing sort of financial gain that Chandni or her family would get. Whatever is in my destiny will find me; Allah will give that to me,' he said.

He also suggested that societal pressure may have driven his father to file the complaint. 'My father might have been under social pressure, and hence he filed an FIR. One family is under societal pressure because of my conversion, and my other family is now in jail. This is not right,' he said.

What Happens Next

The case places Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law under renewed scrutiny, particularly in situations where the individual at the centre of the complaint actively contests the allegation of coercion. Police say the investigation remains ongoing. The outcome will likely hinge on forensic examination of the documents and statements from the other seven named accused, including the maulvi who reportedly conducted the nikah.