Maharashtra Anti-Conversion Bill becomes law
On August 28, Maharashtra's Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 will become law. This follows the enactment of similar statutes in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand. The Devendra Fadnavis government introduced the bill in March. The Act prohibits coerced, fraudulent, or deceitful religious conversions.
Under the law, unlawful conversions on the pretext of marriage carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence and a Rs 1 lakh fine. Conversions of minors, individuals of unsound mind, or those belonging to Scheduled Castes or Tribes attract up to seven years' imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh fine. Mass conversions are punishable by up to seven years in jail and a Rs 5 lakh fine. Repeat offenders face up to 10 years' imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh fine.
The Act mandates police station heads to register complaints of alleged unlawful conversions. Conversion or attempts to convert someone from one religion to another using gifts, money, employment, free education, marriage promises, or divine healing are also illegal. The bill's statement of objects and reasons notes incidents of forceful and organized religious conversions in various parts of the country, often targeting vulnerable groups through inducements.
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