Ayush Malik, a Shamli district resident who had converted to Islam for the woman he was in a relationship with, has returned to Hinduism amid an ongoing criminal case linked to the conversion, saying he took the decision after seeing the distress it had caused his parents.
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows Malik, in his 20s, performing Hindu rituals at his residence along with his parents, even as the police probe into his conversion continues.
In the video, he says he had embraced Islam for the woman he loved but has now decided to return to Hinduism after seeing how much pain his move had caused his family. He is also seen apologising to his parents and speaking emotionally about staying with them.
Yashveer Maharaj of Yog Sadhana Ashram, who had raised the issue publicly, confirmed Malik’s reconversion.
“Ajay Malik has returned to the Hindu faith and has resumed worship at his home. He also removed all articles associated with the Muslim faith from his house,” Yashveer Maharaj said.
He also claimed that a campaign launched over the issue has succeeded with Malik’s return to Hinduism, calling it a victory for the family after weeks of anguish.
The development comes weeks after Uttar Pradesh Police arrested physiotherapist Chandni Qureshi and her father, Islam Qureshi, following a complaint filed by Devaraj Malik under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
Ayush converts for Chandni
According to the complaint, Ayush, a Bachelor of Pharmacy graduate who helped run his family’s medical store, first met Chandni in 2018 while receiving treatment for a leg injury at a hospital in Shamli.
Police said the two later developed a relationship, after which Chandni and members of her family allegedly influenced him to convert to Islam.
The FIR alleges that Ayush was taken to Delhi in 2023, where he converted to Islam and adopted the name Mohammad Ali. It also claims that a nikah ceremony was performed in Delhi. However, police have said they have not recovered any marriage certificate during the investigation.
Investigators have also claimed that after the conversion, Ayush began following Islamic religious practices, including offering five daily prayers, growing a beard, and changing his style of dress.
Devaraj Malik has alleged that the conversion was part of a larger conspiracy to gain control of the family’s property, which he claims is worth several crores of rupees.
Police arrested four people, including Chandni Qureshi and her father, on June 7. The FIR named nine people under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covering extortion, cheating, forgery and criminal intimidation, besides the anti-conversion law, and a Special Investigation Team was formed to probe the case.
The matter remains under investigation.
