India, Dec. 10 -- A Palwal court on Monday rejected the bail application of a 57-year-old cleric based in Uttar Pradesh for his alleged involvement in the forced conversion of a 15-year-old girl, police officers said on Tuesday.

According to investigators, the cleric Shamsuddin Khan, originally from Tirthali village in Bulandshahr, had promised Rs.5 lakh to the minor boy if helped in the conversion of the girl.

According to police and village representatives, the case dates back to September 25, when the girl was allegedly taken inside the mosque by a minor boy she knew. Her family told police that the boy and the mosque cleric attempted to coerce her into converting, after which they intervened and rescued her.

Police officers said he...