Lucknow: An NIA-ATS court in Uttar Pradesh sentenced prominent Islamic scholar Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, along with Umar Gautam and ten others, to life imprisonment in a 2021 case related to religious conversion. Judge Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
The life sentence was issued under IPC Section 121A for conspiracy against the state. Muslim organizations had criticized the arrests of Muslim scholars, including Siddiqui and Gautam, both known for their Islamic preaching. They were previously jailed before being released on bail last year.
In addition to the life sentences, 16 others, including the 12 convicts, received a 10-year jail term and were fined ₹10,000 under the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Religious Conversion (Prohibition) Act, 2021. The charges also included criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, and illegal religious conversion.
The court confirmed that the time spent in jail would be counted towards their sentences. Umar Gautam and Abdullah Omar also received five years of rigorous imprisonment under the FCRA.
