Gujarat: On Tuesday, the state of Gujarat enacted a law against the practice of forcing or fraudulently converting people to their religion. The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which provides for imprisonment for upto 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh in certain cases, received the assent of Governor Acharya Devvrat on May 22.
The state Assembly passed the bill on April 1 this year. The Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that the law was implemented in the state as announced on June 4 by the CMO. The bill presented by the government aims to curb the trend of women getting married for the purpose of religious conversion.
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The unauthorized conversion by marriage, or by getting someone married, or by assisting someone to get married, may result in imprisonment for upto five years and a fine of up to two lakh rupees. Offenders who commit such a crime against a minor, woman, Dalit, or tribal may face a jail term of 4-7 years and a fine of no less than Rs 3 lakh. An organization or institution found to have flouted the law can be sentenced to up to ten years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh.
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