The Maharashtra government has taken a historic step to completely curb religious conversions through force, fraud, allurement or false promise of marriage in the state. According to the official gazette notification issued by the Home Department, the much talked about 'Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026' is going to be officially implemented in the entire state from August 28, 2026. With the implementation of this law, Maharashtra has joined the list of select 13 states in the country where special punitive legislations are in place to stop illegal conversion. Why was this law brought and what is the objective of the government? According to the state government, in the last few years, complaints were being received from different parts of the state about innocent citizens, women, economically weaker sections and people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes converting to religion by deception, allurement or misusing social influence. While presenting this bill in the Assembly, the government had clarified that Article 25 of the Constitution gives every citizen the freedom to practice and propagate the religion of his choice, but this right does not include the right to convert any other person by force, fraud or inducement. This law has not been prepared to target any particular religion, but to protect social harmony and personal freedom. There are strict provisions for punishment and fine in the new law. Under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act 2026, all crimes have been kept in the non-bailable and cognizable category. The law prescribes stringent punishment according to different categories: Illegal religious conversion in the name of marriage: If a person fraudulently converts a religion by giving false promise of getting married or by giving false promise of marriage, he will be punished with imprisonment of minimum 3 years to 7 years and a fine of up to ₹ 1 lakh. Such a marriage can be declared null and void by the court. Conversion of minor, female, SC/ST: If the victim is a minor, female, mentally unsound or belongs to SC/ST category, the culprit will have to face jail up to 7 years and a fine up to ₹5 lakh. Mass Conversion: In cases of illegal conversion of two or more persons simultaneously, the culprits will be punished with imprisonment of up to 7 years and a fine of up to ₹ 5 lakh. Repeat Offenders: If a person has been found guilty of this crime before and is found guilty again, he will be punished with a maximum jail term of 10 years and a heavy fine. Action on institutions and trusts: If any NGO, educational institution or religious trust is found involved in illegal conversion, its government registration and financial grants will be immediately canceled and its office bearers will be punished. What is the scope of allurement? The definition of 'inducement' and 'undue influence' has been quite wide in the law. According to this, it will be considered an offense to induce any person to convert to religion by any of the following: cash money, gifts or transfer of property. Promise of employment, better lifestyle or free education. Lure of marriage or false social promise. Divine Miracle (Divine Healing) or psychological pressure by declaring a particular religion superior/inferior. Brainwashing or religious disinformation through education. What will be the legal process for voluntarily changing religion? For those adult citizens who want to convert to religion voluntarily on the basis of their conscience without any pressure, allurement or deceit, a strict administrative procedure has been prescribed in the law: 60 days notice: A person wishing to convert will have to give written information and declaration form to the District Magistrate of the concerned district at least 60 days in advance. Responsibility of the person carrying out the conversion: The priest, pastor or maulvi who will complete the conversion process will also have to inform the administration at least a month in advance. Verification within 21 days: The final verification report will have to be submitted to the District Magistrate within 21 days of the completion of the conversion. Burden of Proof: A major feature of this law is that the entire onus will be on the accused or the person converting to prove that he has done this act completely voluntarily and without any inducement. Who can file FIR? Apart from the victim, his parents, siblings or any other family member by blood, marriage or adoption can lodge a written complaint at the police station. It has been made mandatory for the police to immediately take cognizance of any such complaint and start a preliminary investigation. Political reactions and voices of protest There is a heated debate regarding this law in the political and social circles of Maharashtra. The ruling party says that this law was necessary to stop social evils like forced conversion and 'love jihad'. Shiv Sena (UBT) had also supported the basic principles of this law in the House and said that forced conversions should be stopped. On the other hand, many civil organizations including opposition Congress, Samajwadi Party and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi have strongly opposed this law. Critics argue that the 60-day notice requirement and overly stringent provisions violate the right to privacy of adults and the personal freedom of couples entering into inter-religious marriages. After this stringent law, which is going to be implemented in entire Maharashtra from August 28, the state police and district administration have completed preparations to issue necessary guidelines regarding its rules at the ground level.
