The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested five persons, including two clerics, in Bijnor district for allegedly forcing a Hindu man to convert before marrying a Muslim woman, The Indian Express reported.

The wedding took place in Dhampur on Saturday night.

The individuals have been charged under the state’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Act.

The police filed a first information report after Jaswant Singh, the father of 24-year-old Mukul Singh, filed a complaint on Sunday, claiming that his son had been forced to convert to Islam by the woman, 21-year-old Shayma, and her parents before the wedding. He alleged that his son’s name had also been changed.

Members of Hindutva outfits accompanied Singh to the police station to file the complaint and held a protest demanding the arrest of those responsible for the allegedly forced religious conversion, the newspaper reported.

“Based on the FIR under Section 3 of the anti-conversion law, we have arrested the two maulvis Qari Irshad and Gufran, the parents Mohammed Shahid and Rukhsana Begum, and the woman Shayma,” the newspaper quoted Keeratpur Police Station’s Station House Officer Rakesh Kumar as saying.

While they have been sent to the district jail, Mukul Singh was let off after interrogation, the police said.

The police said that one of the clerics had asked for Mukul Singh’s Aadhaar card to perform the marriage, but the groom refused to give it. “When one of the maulvis came to know that the man belonged to the other religion, he fled from the madrasa apprehending police action,” Kumar was quoted as saying.

The police said that Mukul Singh fell in love with Shayma and she had informed her parents that she wanted to marry him.

“The parents initially refused as the man did not belong to their religion but later allowed her with the condition that he should embrace Islam if he were serious about marrying their daughter,” said Bijnor East Superintendent of Police Dharam Singh Marchal.

Mukul Singh agreed to convert and was named Mahir Ansari, Marchal was quoted as saying.

Also read: Behind Allahabad HC denying protection to inter-faith couples – UP’s anti-conversion law