PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 11 -- The Allahabad high court has ordered the father of two adult sisters and the Uttar Pradesh government to jointly pay Rs.25 lakh compensation after holding that the women were illegally confined at their parental home following their decision to convert from Hinduism to Islam.

The court said that both sisters are free to reside at any place and with any person of their own choice, without any interference from their father or any other person.

The court further directed the women's father to hand over the passport, educational certificates, identity documents, bank passbooks, cheque books, conversion-related documents and personal belongings to both women within seven days.

However, the court clarified that the inv...