The Maharashtra cabinet has approved a draft anti-conversion law titled the Maharashtra Religious Freedom Act, 2026, proposing stringent punishment for forced or fraudulent religious conversions. The proposed legislation provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for those found guilty of carrying out illegal conversions.
The bill is expected to be introduced during the ongoing budget session of the state legislature and will be tabled in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council for approval. Once cleared by both Houses, the bill will be sent to the President of India for assent, after which it will come into force in the state.
According to the state government, the law aims to curb conversions carried out through force, fraud or inducement. To prepare the draft, the government had set up a special committee headed by the Director General of Police on February 14, 2025, which studied existing laws and legal aspects before framing the proposal.
The proposed law includes strict provisions against illegal conversions. Section 14 provides for penalties and even a ban on organisations found to be involved in unlawful conversions. Section 9, which deals with offences and punishments, states that those convicted under subsection (4) could face up to seven years in prison along with a fine of ₹5 lakh.
As per the draft bill, any person intending to convert to another religion will have to give a 60-day prior notice and obtain permission from a designated authority. The conversion must also be registered within 25 days, failing which it will be considered null and void.
The bill also allows blood relatives of a person undergoing conversion to file a complaint, following which the police will register an FIR and conduct an investigation.
The draft states that while the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, it does not include the right to convert someone through force, fraud or inducement. Instead, it emphasises that individuals have the right to be protected from such unlawful conversions.
The issue of religious conversions has been raised for years by several Hindutva organisations and social activists, who have staged protests demanding stricter laws. Minister Nitesh Rane said the new law would make offences related to forced conversion non-bailable, enabling the police to take immediate action and making it difficult for the accused to secure bail.
Rane also claimed that the proposed legislation in Maharashtra would be stricter and more effective than similar laws in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, with tougher provisions to deal with cases of forced conversion.
