The Maharashtra government put the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 before the state assembly; it would strongly punish conversions achieved through pressure, fraud, offers, or marriage. The proposed law would make unlawful conversions a crime, with jail time, large fines, and steps to keep people from being forced or tricked into changing religions.
What the Bill says and the punishments
The Bill gives certain punishments: conversions gotten through deceit or force via marriage could mean up to seven years in prison and a 100,000 Rupee fine. Cases with a child, someone not of sound mind, a woman, or people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would result in seven years in jail, and a 500,000 Rupee fine.
Converting a group of people – two or more at the same time – would also be seven years in prison and a 500,000 Rupee fine. People who break the law more than once could get as much as ten years in prison and a 500,000 Rupee fine, showing how seriously repeated offences would be treated.
What is unlawful conversion, and what must be done
The proposed law says unlawful conversion is one done with force, fraud, false statements, too much influence, or promise of something in return. It lists giving gifts, money, jobs, free schooling, promises of marriage, a better life, or spiritual healing as things that are not allowed to be offered as enticements.
To make things more open, the Bill would require anyone wanting to convert, or to hold a conversion event, to give notice 60 days before to the district official or someone the state has authorized. The official who is in charge must show the details of the case to the public and let people raise objections for 30 days.
Statements, objections, and time limits
After a conversion event, the person who converted and the person who organized it must both give a statement saying the conversion took place within 21 days. The public notice and time to object makes a formal period for review, letting officials and people in the area have time to point out suspected unlawful acts before they are completed.
These time limits are meant to put administrative control into conversions, but they also add more red tape which could affect how people exercise and record their free religious choices at the district level.
Reporting, looking into cases, and who must prove what
The Bill says the officer in charge of a police station must take down complaints from anyone about suspected unlawful conversions. The crimes would be able to be known and not be allowed bail, letting police act quickly and hold people in cases that are said to have happened.
Investigations must be done by a police officer of at least the rank of sub-inspector, and the proposed law makes the person accused of causing, helping, or encouraging the conversion prove they did not do so. People who support civil rights say this turns around the normal idea and could put pressure on people who work with and volunteer for religions.
Helping people again, safeguards, and what people say against it
The proposed law has ways to help and support people who were unlawfully converted, and plans for the care and support of children affected by such cases. Supporters say these steps protect groups who are at risk and keep up the constitutional right to religious freedom.
People who support civil rights are worried that the steps the law requires, the notices that must be given, and the strict punishments could make people not convert freely and go against a person’s own choice. Legal experts point out possible problems with whether the law is allowed by the constitution, and the correct balance between protecting people and limiting religious freedom.
What is going on in politics and the law
If passed, Maharashtra would join a number of states which already control religious conversions through similar laws, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttarakhand. This shows a wider trend among state governments to police conversion practices, while saying they are doing so to keep public order and protect groups at risk.
The Bill will be talked about by the assembly, and people from religious groups, civil society, and legal circles are expected to take part in the debate. People who watch these things say the final form of the law and how it is put into practice will shape the state’s situation for religious freedom and social policy.
