MEERUT, June 9 -- The ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged religious conversion of a 27-year-old youth in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district took a dramatic turn on Monday as Ayush Malik, son of a prominent pharmaceutical businessman, publicly stated that he embraced Islam of his own free will and was subjected to no coercion, inducement or brainwashing. Addressing the media, Ayush said he voluntarily converted to Islam and adopted the name Rahman, adding that he has no intention of returning to his previous faith. He also objected to the arrest of his wife, Chandni Qureshi, and her father, Islam Qureshi, who were recently jailed following a police complaint filed by his family. The youth said he had been practicing the faith since 2008. Ayush revealed that he married Chandni Qureshi, a resident of Shamli, through a 'nikah' ceremony in Delhi. According to him, he kept his conversion and marriage hidden from his family for years because his sisters had not yet been married. "After all my sisters were married, I informed my family that I had embraced Islam," he said, adding that the decision was taken without any external pressure. Ayush also dismissed allegations that Chandni's family had targeted him for his wealth or attempted to seize family property worth crores of rupees. Calling such claims baseless, he said false narratives were being spread around the case. Responding to allegations that he had been brainwashed, Ayush said the charge was unfounded. "If I had been brainwashed, would I have forgotten my parents?" he asked. He claimed that some groups were inflaming the issue and that he was facing pressure from members of society to reconvert. He maintained that he would not change his faith under any pressure. The controversy erupted last week when Swami Yashveer Maharaj, head of the Sadhana Ashram in Baghra area in Shamli, raised the issue of Ayush's conversion and accused authorities of failing to take action. The seer announced a Hindu Mahapanchayat in the Qureshi locality on June 12, if action was not initiated. Following the growing controversy, police registered an FIR late on Saturday night at the City Kotwali police station on a complaint filed by Devaraj Malik. The FIR named Chandni Qureshi, her father Islam Qureshi, her brother, eight other family members, and three clerics as accused in connection with the alleged conversion. On Sunday, police arrested Chandni Qureshi and her father, Islam Qureshi, and sent them to judicial custody. Their arrests triggered fresh debate over the case, which has now taken another turn after Ayush publicly defended both of them and insisted that his conversion and marriage were matters of personal choice. Additional superintendent of police Sumit Shukla said, "Following the FIR, the accused were arrested and subsequently sent to jail following court orders. The case is being investigated in detail."...