Governor gives assent to stricter anti-conversion law in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh has given his assent to the Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2022, making unlawful conversions a cognizable and non-bailable offence punishable with a prison term of up to 10 years.

The bill was passed by the state assembly on November 30 this year and the governor gave his assent to the legislation earlier this week, official sources said here on Saturday.

With the governor’s sanction of the bill it has become an act paving the way for stricter punishment of offenders in such cases, they said.

Apart from a maximum imprisonment of up to ten years, persons indulging in forceful and unlawful conversion in Uttarakhand will now be slapped with a fine of at least Rs 50,000.

“No person shall convert, either directly or otherwise, any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means. No person shall abet, convince or conspire such conversion,” the Act said.