The order of the HC states, "(Advocate for the petitioner submitted that)...under Section 6 of the Gujarat Freedom to Religion Act, 2003, the complaint under the said Act can be filed only after obtaining previous sanction from such authority not below the rank of Sub-divisional Magistrate.... Additional Public Prosecutor has drawn the attention of this Court to the fact that on April 23, 2026, the application has been submitted to the District Magistrate for grant of sanction which is pending..."CONSIDERING THAT the Surat district police had not sought the sanction of the District Magistrate (DM) to book six petitioners under the provisions of the Gujarat Freedom to Religion Act, 2003, Gujarat High Court (HC) granted interim relief in regard to the further proceedings under the Act and issued notice to the state and the police in the case.Justice MR Mengdey of the HC was hearing a petition filed by six members of the family of a Surat-based doctor, who has been booked in a case of alleged rape in Surat district in May 2025. The family members, in their petition before the HC filed through Advocate Utkarsh Dave, contends that Sections of the Gujarat Freedom to Religion Act have been invoked in the FIR of rape, based on an alleged application made by the original complainant stating that she had been “compelled to subscribe to the Christian religion, luring her on the pretext of marriage”. The petitioners before the HC include the parents, two sisters, an aunt and a distant relative of the original accused.On Monday, while issuing notice to the state and the police, the HC noted that the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP), on April 20, 2026, had requested for the matter to be adjourned and had informed the court that the police had moved an application before the District Magistrate on April 23, seeking sanction to invoke the sections of the Act.The order of the HC states, “(Advocate for the petitioner submitted that)…under Section 6 of the Gujarat Freedom to Religion Act, 2003, the complaint under the said Act can be filed only after obtaining previous sanction from such authority not below the rank of Sub-divisional Magistrate…. Additional Public Prosecutor has drawn the attention of this Court to the fact that on April 23, 2026, the application has been submitted to the District Magistrate for grant of sanction which is pending…”Noting that the sanction had not yet been received, the HC granted interim relief to the applicants till the next date of hearing. The order states, “…the fact remains the same that till date there is no sanction granted by the District Magistrate under Section 6 of the Gujarat Freedom to Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021… Having regard to the same, issue notice returnable on August 20, 2026. Interim relief granted till the next date of hearing and proceedings as regards the offence punishable under the provisions of Gujarat Freedom to Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021…”The original FIR states that the accused doctor had allegedly forged physical relationship with the victim, a widow, claiming that he would marry her and also accept her daughter as his own. The complainant had stated that she had come in touch with the accused doctor during the medical treatment of her now-deceased husband and the two had allegedly “entered into an intimate relationship” as the accused had promised to marry her. However, following an alleged “unplanned pregnancy and its termination”, when the complainant insisted that the accused must perform a “court-marriage”, he had begun to maintain a distance.The petition before the HC states that the original accused was granted anticipatory bail in June 2025 and that the complainant “deceitfully gave yet another written complainant dated 30.06.2025 before the Police Station… (raising) further allegations that, on account of the fact that since the original accused wanted to get married only to someone from the ‘Christian’ community, the original complainant agreed to visit the Church… attended programmes of the Christian community, wherein upon being asked, the complainant volunteered to join the Christian religion. Accordingly, she participated in a ritual led by (the father of the original accused) … and upon completing the ritual, she was informed that she had joined the Christian religion.” Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... 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