Mumbai, March 6 -- The Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday approved the draft of the proposed Freedom of Religion Bill, popularly known as anti-conversion bill, aimed at curbing forced religious conversion through marriage, often referred to by Hindu right-wing groups as "love jihad". The approval clears the way for the bill to be introduced during the ongoing budget session of the state legislature. The proposed law treats such interfaith marriages as a cognisable and non-bailable offence if families object to the marriage and allege conversion through force or allurement. A cognisable offence under the proposed law carries a minimum prison sentence of seven years. Some states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have prescribed a minimum sentence of 10 years under similar laws. According to officials in the state home department, the bill requires an interfaith couple to obtain approval for the marriage from the district collector and confirm that their respective families have no objection. Under the provisions, a person intending to convert must give a 60-day notice before conversion. The conversion must then be registered within 25 days. Failure to complete the process within the stipulated time could render the marriage null and void, an official said. If family members raise objections after the notice is issued, the police will register a case and begin an investigation, according to the draft bill. After the cabinet approved the bill, state fisheries minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane announced the decision at Vidhan Bhavan. He said the government would soon issue a notification for its implementation. "We had firmly stated during the Assembly elections that once we come to power, we will bring a strong anti-conversion law, also referred to as a law against love jihad, in Maharashtra. Today, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction that such a strong anti-conversion law has been approved by the cabinet," Rane told reporters....