In Chhattisgarh, Governor Ramen Deka signed the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill yesterday. The bill will now be published in the official gazette, after which it will come into effect as a law. The bill was passed during the previous session of the state legislative assembly. It includes strict provisions to prevent unlawful religious conversions. According to the provisions, any person seeking to convert will have to submit an application to an authorized officer.
The law provides for imprisonment ranging from seven to ten years and a fine of five lakh rupees for those found guilty of illegal religious conversion. In cases where the victim belongs to vulnerable groups such as minors, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, or tribal communities, the punishment increases to ten to twenty years of imprisonment along with a fine of ten lakh rupees.
In cases of mass conversion, the punishment ranges from ten years to life imprisonment, along with a fine of up to twenty-five lakh rupees.
