Goa CM Pramod Sawant proposes anti-conversion law in the state, multiple states have introduced the legislation till now to tackle the problem of forced conversions
On Monday, 21st July, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant declared that the state also requires an anti-conversion law to address “forced conversions.” The matter transpired when he was responding to a motion initiated by Premendra Shet of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Cruz Silva, during the legislative assembly’s monsoon session. Afterward, some lawmakers urged the government to provide the data on such cases in Goa.
They brought attention to the case of SB Krishna who was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police in Goa on suspicion of kidnapping two girls. They emphasised that a “international network funded by global operators” had been functioning in the region and questioned the government’s efforts to dismantle the “transnational network.”
Her involvement became known after a multi-state Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-style conversion racket with ties to Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) was busted by the authorities. Krishna, also known as Ayesha and Nikki, left Hinduism to embarce Islam and was nabbed on suspicion of kidnapping two women for marriage.
Sawant conveyed, “Forced conversions are not allowed under the anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh. Many states have passed such laws. I believe we too need to bring such a law so that forced conversions will be disallowed,” and added, “All of you too need to support us,” turning to the legislators of the Congress party.
The CM asserted, “Inter-religion marriages are happening. That is their wish, but forced conversions by giving money should not be done.” According to CM Sawant, “love jihad” cases were also occurring in Goa. “There was denial about love jihad. If you want, I can give you details later,” he mentioned. “Now you may say they are adults, they are in love, but when there are cases of targeting, then we will have to pay attention,” the Chief minister highlighted.
Cruz Silva called for a comprehensive investigation into the case and demanded the state’s law enforcement agencies to look into the number of such accused people living there. “Goa is an international tourist destination. Tourists from across the country and abroad visit Goa. Recently, a grand Exposition of Saint Francis Xavier was held in Old Goa, attended by lakhs of people,” he pointed out.
“However, during the same period (this accused) was also staying in Old Goa and was linked to ISIS. Now that the Uttar Pradesh police have arrested her, everything has come to light. But how is it that the Goa Police and the Crime Branch had no information about her,” he asked.
“Goa’s harmony has never been disturbed and it should never be. I made it clear that this is against those who are attempting to do forced conversions. Inter-religious marriages are happening in Goa. That is their willingness, their wish. However, conversion should not take place by offering lures like money, etc.,” he noted.
Forced conversion racket exposed
Ten people from six states were apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh police for their roles in illegal religious conversions under “Mission Asmita.” Six of them were Hindus, including Krishna, who changed their religion after which they subsequently trapped others, especially young men and women, to follow suit.
The mastermind Abdul Rehman had also been captured from Delhi’s Mustafabad by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The authorities have linked their network to the Islamic State (IS) and reported to have discovered the usage of foreign funds for radicalisation and religious conversions.
Additionally, the perpetrators were involved in various activities within the network, such as receiving and administering money, giving legal counsel, supplying new phones and SIM cards, trapping victims into love jihad and assisting in religious conversions.
Anti-conversion law in Indian states
Forced religious conversions are illegal or set to become unlawful in twelve Indian states including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh through “Freedom of Religion Acts.” These regulations forbid religious conversions through force, manipulation, deception or inducement. People who break the law are punished with fines and even incarceration.
Arunachal Pradesh
Nearly 46 years after the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act of 1978 was passed, the state government made the decision to impose it by creating regulations for its enactment, amid protests from the Christian organisations. The development transpired after the Gauhati High Court asked the state government to draft rules within 6 months, in September 2024, in response to an appeal.
October 1978 saw the passage of the act which “prohibits conversion from one religious faith to any other by use of force, inducement or by fraudulent means and for matters connected therewith.” It’s goal was to safeguard indigenous religions, beliefs and customs. The law unequivocally stated that anyone found in violation would face a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 10,000.
Chhattisgarh
Vishnu Deo Sai, the chief minister of Chhattisgarh, also announced that his government would introduce a new, strict law to stop tribal people and possibly others from converting to other religion. He also argued that in order to stop proselytisation, tribal members should be delisted from the Scheduled Tribe category if they convert to another faith. According to earlier reports, the new law would be known as the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act.
Illegal conversion of women, children and members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes shall be criminalised under it. It would stipulate a minimum penalty of two years and a maximum penalty of ten years in jail with the possibility of a fine of at least Rs 25,000. Furthermore, if someone is found guilty of participating in unlawful mass conversion, they could be sentenced to 3-10 years in prison, alongside a fine of up to Rs 50,000. The victims would also be compensated up to Rs 5 lakh from the court.
Gujarat
Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2021 was put forward by the government in an effort to mitigate the threat of forced religious conversion in the state. The Family Court or the court will consider it illegal to marry someone for the sole intent of converting them to another religion in accordance with the law. It also forbids anyone from directly or indirectly pressuring or misleading someone into marriage or assisting in marriage for conversion.
According to the law, anyone who commits the offence, provides assistance or recommends someone else to do it is equally guilty of committing the crime. A fine of at least Rs 2 lakhs and a sentence of 3 to 5 years in prison await those who breach these regulations. If the women belong to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, a fine of Rs 3 lakhs and a prison sentence of 4 to 7 years will be enforced.
Organisations that break these rules will have their registrations revoked and those found guilty could receive sentences ranging from three to ten years in prison as well as a Rs 5 lakh penalty. The provisions make grooming jihad a non-bailable crime.
Haryana
The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2022 makes it illegal to convert someone to another religion “through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage.” It specifies that such conversions are punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of at least Rs 1 lakh. However, it offers an exception for those who return to their immediate prior religion, as this will not be considered a conversion.
According to the law, anyone who converts or attempts to convert a minor, a woman or a member of one of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes will be granted a minimum penalty of four years in prison with the possibility of an extension to ten years, as well as a fine of at least Rs 3 lakh. Moreover, it outlines that marriages entered into just for the purpose of transitioning from one faith to another will be considered invalid.
Himachal Pradesh
The purpose of the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was to amend the state’s current conversion statute. On 21st December 2020, the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2019 was notified. It was passed with the intention of amending the 2006 conversion law, which the Himachal High Court halted in 2012 on the grounds that it violated religious freedom.
The proposed amendment raised the maximum sentence for forced conversion from seven years in prison to ten years. It also specified that a person who conceals their religion to wed someone of a different faith faces a minimum three-year sentence. A clause to increase this punishment to ten years is also included. Furthermore, the penalty has been increased to Rs 50,000 (Rs 50,000), with a likelihood of an increase to Rs 100,000 (Rs 1 lakh).
The law indicated that mass conversion will impose a maximum penalty of Rs 50,000 and seven years in prison. According to the legislation, it will be considered a crime if someone uses the resources offered by his original religion even after converting with two years in prison with the possibility of an extension to five years. Additionally, the penalty could increase from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Jharkhand
The Jharkhand Dharma Swatantra Adhiniyam, commonly known as the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill 2017, renders conversion by coercion, fraud and allurement illegal. A conviction can result in a fine of up to Rs 50,000 and/or a jail term of up to three years. If the target is a woman, a minor or a member of a scheduled caste or tribe, the penalty and fine increase. Furthermore, it specifies that the District Magistrate must give their prior consent before a person can change their faith.
Karnataka
Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022 “provides for protection of right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.”
It also “prohibits conversion from one religion to another religion by misrepresentation, force, fraud, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by promise of marriage.” The penalty for breaking the law included a fine of Rs 25,000 and a three-year jail sentence which could be extended to five years.
The penalty was increased to ten years if the conversion involved a woman, a member of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, a minor child or a person who was mentally unstable. However, in 2023, the Congress government of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared that it was going to abolish the law.
Madhya Pradesh
The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2021 was created to curb the rising threat of grooming jihad by prohibiting religious conversion through deceptive ways. A marriage that is solemnised for the purpose of conversion will be considered void under the law. The offence will be cognisable, non-bailable, and subject to Sessions Court proceedings.
People who break the law face a minimum fine of Rs 25,000 and a maximum sentence of 1-5 years in prison. A victim who is minor or a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe will result in a heavier sentence for the perpetrator. The accused could be fined up to Rs 50,000 and imprisoned for 2-10 years.
Similarly, attempting to conceal one’s religion in order to dishonestly solemnise a marriage will result in a minimum fine of Rs 50,000 and three to ten years in prison. Those found to be involved in mass conversions will also face a fine of Rs 1 lakh and a jail sentence of five to ten years.
The law has some new specifications that apply to schools, churches and madrassas. According to the new provisions, the government could cease offering aid to an institution if it engages in or supports forced religious conversion or love jihad (grooming jihad). The government will also have the authority to take back any land that has been given to such an organisation under the proposed law.
Odisha
Notably, the first state to enact anti-conversion legislation was the Government of Odisha (formerly Orissa). “No one shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith to another by the use of force, by inducement, or by any fraudulent means,” according to the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967.
A year in prison, a Rs 5,000 fine, or both could be imposed for breaking the law which turned into a template for other states. The penalty could be doubled if the conversion involves a woman, a minor or a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
Moreover, the legislation requires that any conversion to another religion be reported to the appropriate authorities. According to the Orissa Freedom of Religion Rules 1989, the concerned religious priest must inform the concerned District Magistrates at least fifteen days prior to the ceremony’s date, time and location, as well as the names and addresses of the individuals who will be converted.
Rajasthan
According to the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2025, anyone seeking to change their religion must apply to the district magistrate at least 60 days beforehand. Afterwars, the magistrate will determine if the conversion was coerced or voluntary. The conversion to a different faith may be permitted if the authorities conclude that no compulsion was applied during the process.
It highlighted that anyone found guilty of engaging in coercive religious conversion faces a sentence of two to ten years in prison. Additionally, a person convicted of forcibly attempting to convert women, children, members of Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes communities shall be fined Rs 25,000. Large-scale conversion will result in a fine of Rs 50,000 and three to ten years in jail.
Uttarakhand
The Dharm Swatantrata Adhiniyam also known as the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act 2018, made forced and unlawful conversions a non-bailable crime. According to the law, anyone found engaging in such conduct faces a jail sentence ranging from one year to five years. The minimum jail sentence is two years if the victim is from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities.
A person who wishes to convert is required to provide an affidavit to the concerned District Magistrate one month in advance and state that the conversion is voluntary. Any conversions that are discovered to have violated the guidelines will be pronounced unlawful by the government. One must also submit the same document if they want to convert to get married.
Uttar Pradesh
The Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2024, was introduced with changes to the anti-conversion law. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 were inadequate to tackle the menace.
The maximum penalty used to be 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50,000. However, following the amendments, the severity of the penalties for a number of offences involving religious conversion has been raised. Unlawful religious conversion is now a crime that carries a sentence of three to ten years in jail. Mass religious conversions and conversions financed by foreign sources will also result in penalties ranging from seven to fourteen years in prison.
Furthermore, it conveyed that penalties for religious conversion would vary from 20 years to life in prison if the victim’s life or fortune was threatened, in case force was used or if marriage or the promise of marriage was made for religious conversion. Additionally, incarceration can range from 20 years to life if a woman, minor or individual is lured and human trafficking takes place.
Conclusion
Now, it appears that BJP-ruled Goa is also drawing inspiration from the anti-conversion laws of these states, the majority of which enacted the law under the governance of the saffron party. If the statement from the chief minister is to be believed, the state is also set to introduce a new law aimed at addressing love jihad and forced religious conversions.
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