Srinagar Court clears name, identity change after conversion to Islam

Inter-faith marriage, delayed disclosure after family shifted to Kashmir

Rattan Singh Gill

Jammu/Srinagar, Mar 21
In a significant ruling reflecting the complexities of identity and demography in Jammu and Kashmir, a court in Srinagar has directed authorities to officially recognise conversion to Islam by a family from Janipur, Jammu—16 years after they embraced the faith.

A Sub-Judge Court in Srinagar has directed authorities to update official records, including educational and service documents, of a family of four who had converted to Islam in 2009 but continued to be recorded under their earlier Hindu names in government documents.

The court of Sub-Judge Junaid Imtiaz Mir passed the order while disposing of a civil suit 1378/2023 filed on 20.06.2023 seeking declaration and mandatory injunction. The family, originally residents of Jammu, had later shifted to Srinagar and approached the court after they claimed that authorities failed to reflect their changed religious identity and names in official records.

As per the ex-parte judgment announced on 29.12.2025, petitioner Ashish Gupta and his family members – his wife Anju Gupta, daughter Mehak Gupta and son Harsh Gupta had embraced Islam in 2009 and adopted new names—Abdul Waheed, Shameem Akhter, Mehak Sheikh and Hamza Sheikh respectively. However, their earlier names continued in documents such as educational certificates, revenue records and even the “service book” of the head of the family, indicating possible government employment.

The court observed that the family had been practicing Islam for over 16 years and their conversion was supported by documentary evidence, including affidavits and a contemporaneous newspaper publication.

The petitioners submitted to the court that they had initially refrained from making their conversion public due to safety concerns while living in a Hindu-majority area in Jammu. It was only after shifting to Srinagar—a Muslim-majority region—that they sought formal recognition of their new identity.

Noting that the right to profess and practice religion is guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution, the court held that the authorities are legally bound to update records in line with the individual’s chosen faith and identity.

While terming formal declaration “redundant” in the circumstances, the court allowed the suit and issued a decree of mandatory injunction directing the concerned departments to carry out necessary corrections in all official records.

The Court records reveal that the case traces back to an inter-faith marriage in 1993 of Ashish Gupta and Shameem Akhtar and the couple practised Hindu faith while a daughter Mehak Gupta and a son Harsh Gupta were borne to the couple. The couple continued as Hindus for years and had children, including a daughter now aged about 26—indicating that the family followed Hindu identity for over two decades.