Karanveer Sidhu's family denied forced conversion allegations and accused his wife's relatives of assault. The counterclaims have intensified scrutiny of the FIR and disputed ceremony video.
Ludhiana family disputes forced conversion charge, alleges assault by bride’s kin
Ludhiana,Oct 28, 2026 01:29 IST
The family of a Ludhiana man accused of forcing his wife to convert to Christianity has denied the allegations, claiming the religious conversion took place with the consent of the woman and her parents. The family also alleged that the husband and his father were assaulted by the woman’s relatives.
The controversy erupted after Kritika Verma accused her in-laws of forcing her to convert, assaulting her and demanding dowry following her love marriage. Police registered an FIR against her husband, Karanveer Sidhu, his father and other family members. Raids were reportedly being conducted to arrest the accused.
On Tuesday, Karanveer and his family appeared before the media to present their version of events and evidence they said supported their claims.
Calling the matter a family dispute rather than a religious conversion case, Karanveer said the allegations against him were false. He claimed that members of his wife’s family had assaulted him and denied having beaten her.
FATHER SAYS CONVERSION TOOK PLACE IN PRESENCE OF BRIDE'S PARENTS
Karanveer’s father, Jatinder Singh, who is a Christian pastor, rejected the allegation of forced conversion. He claimed that Kritika was inducted into Christianity in the presence of, and with the consent of, her parents.
According to Jatinder, the couple married on September 2 in accordance with Hindu customs, as per the groom’s wishes. When Kritika arrived at her matrimonial home on September 5, her parents accompanied her and allegedly told the family that she would now live with them and could be married according to their customs if they wished.
Jatinder said the family subsequently conducted the religious ceremony according to Christian traditions. He also claimed that a video of the ceremony, which has since circulated online, was recorded by Kritika’s parents on their mobile phone and showed them present during the proceedings.
He alleged that the video was now being portrayed as evidence of forced conversion, a charge he denied.
FAMILY ALLEGES BRIDE'S RELATIVES ASSAULTED HUSBAND AND FATHER
The family also disputed the allegations of physical assault, claiming that Karanveer was attacked first by members of Kritika’s family, followed by an assault on Jatinder.
They said they had evidence, including call records and details of the sequence of events, to support their version of the incident.
Following the registration of the FIR, the family sought justice and urged that its side of the case be considered. The allegations and counterclaims have not been independently verified.
- Ends
With inputs from Vivek Dhall