Mumbai, Aug. 19 -- Marking a major legislative shift, the Maharashtra government is set to implement the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 across the state starting August 28, coinciding with the festival of Rakshabandhan. Following Presidential assent, the state's Home Department officially issued the gazette notification, establishing stringent legal frameworks to penalize unlawful conversions.
Aimed at curbing religious conversions executed through force, fraud, undue influence, allurement, or deceitful marriages, the law introduces severe non-bailable penalties for violators.
Unlawful conversions carry penalties of up to 7 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh. Offences involving women, minors, persons of unsoun...