Ayush Malik (30), the only son of Shamli-based pharmaceutical businessman Devraj Malik, has finally returned to Hinduism weeks after publicly announcing that he changed his name to Mohammad Ali. He returned to Hinduism releasing a video in which Malik was seen performing puja at their home with his family. His return comes amid an ongoing police investigation into allegations surrounding his earlier religious conversion.
A video of Ayush has gone viral on social media. In the video, he says that although he had earlier converted to Islam, he has now voluntarily chosen to return to Hinduism. “I had gone into Islam and changed my religion. But after seeing your pain and keeping my family in mind, I have, of my own free will, returned to Hinduism. I want to live under the care and protection of my family,” he said in the video.
His father, Devaraj Malik, also confirmed that his son had formally re-adopted Sanatan Dharma.
The controversy began after Devaraj Malik filed a complaint alleging that Chandni Qureshi and her father, Islam Qureshi, had influenced his son to convert to Islam as part of a conspiracy to gain control of the family’s property. Based on the complaint, the police filed a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
According to the FIR, Ayush Malik, a Bachelor of Pharmacy graduate who assisted in managing his family’s medical store, met Chandni in 2018 while receiving treatment for a leg injury at a local hospital.
Police said the two later entered into a relationship, following which Chandni and her family allegedly influenced him to embrace Islam.
The complaint further alleges that Ayush was taken to Delhi in 2023, where he converted to Islam, adopted the name Mohammad Ali and underwent a nikah ceremony. However, police have said no marriage certificate has been recovered during the investigation.
According to police sources, Ayush had reportedly adopted several Islamic practices after the conversion, including offering five daily prayers, growing a beard and changing his style of dress.
Investigations are underway to examine the allegations made in the FIR, including claims that the conversion was linked to an attempt to gain control of the Malik family’s assets.