New Delhi, July 9 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed further criminal proceedings against a man accused of coercing a family in Madhya Pradesh to convert to Islam, even though he claims to profess Hinduism.

A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Shree Chandrashekhar passed the interim order and issued notice on his plea challenging a Madhya Pradesh High Court order refusing to quash an FIR registered under Sections 3 and 5 of the MP Freedom of Religion Act.

During the hearing, counsel for petitioner Herman Tailor contended that the FIR was lodged nearly eight years after the complainant's husband had allegedly converted to Islam.

The case stems from an FIR filed by the wife of a man who allegedly embraced Islam after coming under Tai...