New Delhi: The Allahabad high court on Wednesday (September 16) freed Ayush Malik, a 31-year-old resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli, who had been allegedly detained by his father after he converted to Islam and married a Muslim woman.Malik, told a bench of Justice Sandeep Jain that he had voluntarily embraced Islam and alleged that his father subsequently subjected him to threats and unlawful confinement, reported LiveLaw.“His categorical statement before the court is that he has voluntarily embraced Islam and that such decision was neither induced nor occasioned by any threat, coercion, undue influence or pressure. Nothing has been brought on record which may persuade this court to disbelieve the statement made by the corpus in the course of his interaction with the court,” said the court while hearing the habeas corpus petition.Earlier, Malik stated that he was subjected to threats and unlawful confinement and had been kept under house arrest from June 4, 2026.He also told the court that he was not under any coercion, threat, undue influence or pressure and it was his independent decision to profess and practice Islam.On the other hand, Malik’s father claimed that he had been influenced or “brainwashed” and had not voluntarily embraced Islam. He further added that he was concerned about his son’s welfare and did not approve of his decision to embrace Islam or to solemnize marriage with Chandni Qureshi.“The choice of an adult as to whom he or she wishes to marry or with whom he or she wishes to establish a relationship is a matter of individual autonomy”, said the court, reported LiveLaw.On September 9, Justice Jain had heard the habeas corpus petition filed by Mohammad Sultan, a friend of Malik. Sultan, stressing that Malik’s conversion to Islam had been voluntary, had said that his father had, in collusion with government authorities, illegally detained Malik and deprived him of his personal liberty.Thereafter, the court had directed Malik’s father and the government authorities to ensure Malik is produced before the court on Wednesday.The court on Wednesday disposed of the habeas corpus petition by setting Malik free. It directed officials that he would be free to reside at such place and with such person as he may choose, to profess and practice the religion of his choice, and to take an appropriate decision regarding his matrimonial relationship in accordance with law.