UP Couple Humiliated: Land Dispute Fuels Conversion Rumours

A couple in Uttar Pradesh faced humiliation and were forced to wear shoe garlands due to a family land dispute and false rumours of religious conversion, sparking a police investigation.

Key Points

Couple in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, were allegedly humiliated with shoe garlands.
The incident stemmed from a family land dispute and rumours of religious conversion.
Police deny religious conversion allegations, citing the land dispute as the primary issue.
A panchayat was convened, leading to accusations and a social boycott of the couple.
Preventive action has been taken against the brother involved in the dispute.

A purported video showing a couple being garlanded with shoes in a village here has surfaced on social media, with police on Tuesday saying the incident stemmed from a dispute over family land, and was abetted by rumours of religious conversion.

The incident took place in Garavgarhi village under Mursan police station limits.

Family Dispute Leads to Humiliation

According to police, Balram, who has been living in Agra for around 35 years and works as a fairground ride operator, had returned to his native village with his wife Rani and 13-year-old son Lalit during Holi, and had been staying there since.

Family members alleged that Balram had abstained from traditional greetings and religious practices since returning to the village, leading to a dispute with his father Shivram and brother Tarachand. The altercation escalated into a scuffle, following which a panchayat was convened.

Accusations of Religious Conversion

During the panchayat, Tarachand and Shivram accused Balram of converting to Christianity and announced his social boycott. When Balram's wife intervened to support her husband, both were allegedly humiliated by being forced to wear garlands made of shoes and slippers, a video of the incident going viral on social media.

Police Investigation and Denial of Conversion

Circle Officer, Sadabad, Amit Pathak said the allegations of religious conversion were false, and were spread by Tarachand due to an ongoing dispute over ancestral property.

"There is no evidence of any religious conversion. The issue is related to a family land dispute," he said.

Balram also denied converting to any other religion.

Police said preventive action has been taken against his brother Tarachand and further investigation is underway.

Panchayats, or village councils, are sometimes convened to resolve local disputes in India, though their decisions are not legally binding. Social boycotts, while illegal, can still be enforced by community members in some areas. Police are investigating the incident and have taken preventive action against one of the involved parties.

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