Sikh man alleges Muslim wife, in-laws forcing him to convert, moves court

A Chandigarh-based Sikh man has filed a civil suit in a local court here, seeking directions for restraining his wife and his in-laws from allegedly forcing him and his minor son to convert to Islam.

The court of Civil Judge (Junior Division) Rasveen Kaur on Wednesday issued notices to defendants on a complaint filed by the 36-year-old man and fixed July 20 as the next date of hearing.

In a civil suit filed through counsel Dixit Arora, the man said that he was Sikh by religion while his wife and his in-laws were Muslim.

The plaintiff through his counsel submitted that he met his would-be wife in 2008 in Chandigarh. He was working as a store in-charge of a jewellery store while the woman was working as a sales girl at the same store.

After they became friends, the woman proposed marriage. He initially refused the proposal as he belonged to a different religion while she was a Muslim.

But after she assured him that she would never create any hurdle in his religious feelings and values, they solemnised the marriage according to Sikh rituals in 2008 at Amritsar.

The plaintiff alleged that from the day one of their marriage, his wife and his in-laws started forcing him to profess Islam.

When his in-laws continued to force him to profess Islam, he decided to stay away from them and shifted to Delhi where he stayed for four years from 2008 till 2011.He later shifted to Amritsar where he stayed for four years.

In 2012, his wife gave birth to a boy. His in-laws started trying their best to convert their child to Islam, he alleged.

On the persistent request of his wife, he shifted to Chandigarh in 2016. Since then, there had been active interference of his in-laws in his matrimonial life, he alleged.

He further alleged that his in-laws used to instigate his wife to enter into heated arguments with him as he was not ready to convert to Islam.

He further accused his in-laws of insulting him numerous times.