Archive · 3 Aug 2026
Maharashtra Anti‑Conversion Law Enacted, Punishing Forced Conversions
Maharashtra, a state in India, has made a new law that stops people from being forced or tricked into changing their religion.
The law says that if someone wants to change their faith, they must tell the local district officer 60 days before.
If they try to change their religion by lying, using force, or promising marriage, they can be sent to jail for up to 7 years the first time, and up to 10 years if they do it again.
The law also lets family members file complaints if they think someone was tricked.
The state says the law only stops forced changes, not people who choose to change their religion on their own.
This law puts Maharashtra in line with many other Indian states that have similar rules.
Maharashtra’s anti‑conversion law, the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, has been notified in the state gazette after receiving President Droupadi Murmu’s assent.
The Act criminalises conversions carried out by force, coercion, fraud, allurement, misrepresentation or marriage‑related deception, with penalties of up to 7 years’ imprisonment for first‑time offenders and 10 years for repeat offenders.
A person intending to convert must give the district magistrate a 60‑day prior notice and follow prescribed post‑conversion procedures; close relatives can file complaints.
The law is said to target only forced or fraudulent conversions, not voluntary conversions or interfaith marriages, according to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the state government.
Maharashtra joins at least a dozen other Indian states that have enacted similar anti‑conversion legislation, such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.
- Who
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, President Droupadi Murmu, Maharashtra state government
- What
- Enactment of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, an anti‑conversion law
- When
- July 30, 2026
- Where
- Maharashtra, India
- Why
- To curb forced or fraudulent religious conversions
- Law name
- Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026
- Assent date
- July 30, 2026
- Maximum imprisonment (first offence)
- 7 years
- Maximum imprisonment (repeat offence)
- 10 years
- Notice period
- 60 days
- Targeted conversions
- force, coercion, fraud, allurement, misrepresentation, marriage deception
- Complaint by relatives
- Yes
