Blitz Bureau
THE Uttar Pradesh State Assembly on July 30 passed the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which effectively proposes to make the state’s ‘anti-conversion’ law more stringent. The Bill proposes a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in cases of fraudulent or forced conversions. Earlier, the maximum sentence under the Act was a 10-year jail term.
The Bill proposes that threatening, attacking, marrying, promising to marry, conspiring, or trafficking a woman, minor, or anyone with the intent to convert will be classified as a serious crime, punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment (which will mean the remainder of accused’s life).
The Bill also proposes that anyone can register an FIR in conversion cases. Presently, Section 4 of the Act says that only a person who has been converted, his/ her parents, brother, sister, or any other person who is related to him/ her by blood, marriage, or adoption may lodge a first information report about the allegation of such conversion and no one else, according to Live Law.
In cases of conversion of minors, disabled people, people that are mentally challenged, or those from the SC and ST communities, the punishment will be rigorous imprisonment of not less than 5 years that can be extended to 14 years and a ₹1 lakh fine.
In the cases of mass conversion too, the Act provides for rigorous imprisonment of not less than 7 years that may be extended to 14 years and a fine not less than ₹1 lakh. Such cases will not be heard by any court below the Sessions Court and bail pleas will not be considered without giving an opportunity to the public prosecutor to respond.
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said that the move has been taken in view of the “sensitivity and gravity” of the crime, the dignity and social status of women, and organised activities of “foreign and anti-national elements” involved in illegal conversion and a change in demography. The Government felt that the fines and punishment under the existing Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act , 2021, needed to be increased and conditions of bail made more stringent, the minister said. All the crimes under the ambit of the amended Act have been made non-bailable in nature.
